Anomaly
by ObsidianShadow1994
Summary: "There is a disturbance in the Force. Those of us on the Council have felt it clearly. An anomaly; a single note of discord amidst the Light and even the Dark. If it is a threat, we do not know. The Force is silent, but urgent. The purpose and origin of the disturbance remains a mystery. I only hope that it does not foretell an end to these times of peace." - Sifo-Dyas; SI/OC, AU.
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _There is no death, there is only the Force._

 _And within the Force, the Light Side and the Dark Side coexist, but not in peace._

 _Ever together the two sides are, have been, and always will be. Their relationship both vague and defined; sharing in their similarities, but rigid in their differences. Their struggle has continued beyond the earliest thoughts of the Force's spirit children; the sentient beings that both feel and do not feel the presence of the energy that surrounds them, that gives them life and binds their galaxy together._

… _but…_

… _there is…more…_

… _there is another…_

… _beyond their senses; beyond their understanding…_

 _Beyond the Force, Light and Dark in its entirety, lay the counterpart of both._

 _To the sentient beings of the Force, an abyss. A realm of non-existence ignored by their limited understanding of reality._

 _To the Force, it was its beginning. It was from there that the Force had come into being and for all its knowledge, it was the one thing that the Force did not understand. It was not divided into Light and Dark and it did not allow the existence of midiclorians within it. It didn't_ _ **need**_ _them._

 _The Counterpart simply_ _ **was.**_

 _And that was sufficient._

 _The Counterpart never communicated with the Force. For as long as the Force had known, the Counterpart had remained silent to the many attempts of the Force to engage it. One might even think that it was mute._

 _But it was not, the Force knew and had seen this when it had heard the Counterpart_ _ **speak**_ _creation into being. Unlike the galaxy that the Force nourished, the Counterpart's creation was incredibly vast!_

 _It was far bigger than the Force (though that is not to say the Force can be compared to in 'size' the same way sentient beings define size); the Force contained one galaxy, within which lived thousands upon thousands of stars, planets and moons teeming with life comprised of many different races that thrived together. But within the Counterpart, numerous swirling galaxies spanned countless lightyears in a brilliant display of heavenly wonder, but ultimately they were all devoid of life._

 _Except for one place it created; in one galaxy. And this one galaxy (compared to the galaxy held together by the Force) differed in the strangest of ways._

 _Because the Counterpart did not allow the existence of midiclorians within this galaxy (or any of its other creations for that matter) the Force was confused by what it witnessed within the 'forceless' Counterpart. Life existed!_

 _On a single planet._

 _Strange, that amide the immeasurable vastness and beauty of the heavens the Counterpart created, only on one planet was life made sustainable. On this singular little blue planet, life thrived. The only sentient beings that lived there were Humans. Why? How did they live without midiclorians? Without guidance and communication in the manner the Force extended to_ _ **its**_ _little creations? And why only humans? The silent Counterpart never responded or acknowledged any of these inquiries from the Force._

 _It was always, always focused solely on those tiny lifeforms it tended to on the little blue planet._

 _Earth._

 _Special, was the obvious impression given by the Counterpart's devoted attention to it. A priceless gift to its spirit children, to be the sole bearers of life in the inestimable universe it had created for them. It increased their already immeasurable worth, the Counterpart believed, and it called to them at all times; personally, constantly, persistently, lovingly._

 _Why, the Force insisted? With no midiclorians how would they hear? Surely they would not be able to sense the counterpart's call._

 _But they did._

 _At least, they heard, but not all listened._

 _Of the little 'forceless' human beings, some worshiped the Counterpart that created them; others did not, denying its existence or defining it away as scientific phenomenon. The 'forceless' humans called it many things: God, Mother Nature, Fate, Natural Selection, Dark Matter, etc._

 _But it was not Dark; nor was it like the Light, at least, not as the Force defined itself._

 _The Counterpart, again, simply_ _ **was**_ _._

 _And it loved its little forceless, powerless humans on its little blue planet in its vast, empty, forceless universe. Fiercely, Patiently and Unconditionally._

 _Jealously._

 _The Dark Side_ _hated_ _the Counterpart; for its nature to be slow to anger and quick to forgive the puny little beings it sustained, but the Dark Side also feared it because the Counterpart was_ _ **powerful**_ _. The Light Side silently admired the Counterpart, but always at a distance, due to its inability to understand it. The Light Side first and foremost sought peace and serenity; the passionate love that the Counterpart lavished so freely on its little forceless humans baffled it. Such strong emotion could only lead to experiencing horrible pain and suffering, it was sure!_

 _For the most part, both Sides of the Force ignored the silent and focused Counterpart and the Counterpart paid no mind._

 _As they have always done, the two Sides focused on each other and their spirit children, slowly circling their opposing Side and reaching for the lifeforms within the universe they bound into existence, bound by time; trying to maintain balance between them and themselves._

 _Until something happened as the Force argued over a shift in the balance._

" _ **You have always been so short-sighted, taking pity on the weak that infest the galaxy! Only through strength will life survive and move forward."**_ _The Dark seethed. The shift had given it power, a slight weight against the Light, and the Dark pressed forward with it relentlessly._

 _The Light remained firm against the Dark, as it had since the beginning. "Strength alone does not decide what is and can be. All are precious and capable and must therefore be protected. Those with strength must aid those that do not; in this way ensuring that life will carry on and those destinies may be reached."_

" _ **Sentimentalities."**_ _The Dark sneered._ _ **"To shackle the progress of the lifeforms to something as whimsical as that. How does one expect them to advance and thrive when they are trapped in stagnation, the pursuit of other's benefits? All will fight to survive! Those with the ability to do so will. But none will benefit if all neglect their own abilities for the preservation of the inferior!"**_

 _The Light hummed in denial of the Dark's claims. All around them, the living beings of the galaxy were felt by the Force, each spark, strong and weak was seen clearly. "Perhaps the time for the Chosen One to appear should be soon." The Light mused. She longed to meet her Child, to bring him – or her – forth into the galaxy and guide the other little lights._

 _However, the Dark rebuffed the Light sharply._ _ **"It is not time! Again you allow your useless soft sentiments to hinder your judgment. I am stronger now, but not a danger as you love to imprint on your little worshipers. I do not threaten life, I drive it forwards and strengthen it and will continue to do so. The Chosen One is not needed."**_

" _The Counterpart has already done so and brought many of its_ _forceless_ _beings to itself."_

 _The Dark paused, but rippled in anger and hatred._

" _ **We need not care what the Counterpart does or has done! We are better than it. Our many worlds populated by our many creations dwarf its insignificant little blue planet and puny human species!"**_ _It roared._

" _Balance." The Light replied._

 _The Dark rippled again as though scoffing._

 _The Light insisted._

" _Order."_

" _ **Chaos!"**_

" _Are not the Counterpart's humans the epitome of both?"_

 _The Dark was silent then, neither denied nor confirmed the Light's claim and brooded over the truth of it. For a silent entity, the Counterpart was efficient in its dealings with its powerless lifeforms, but the forceless humans themselves were a peculiar sort. Since their creation they'd rebelled against the Counterpart, but still cried pitifully to it when convenient. They were utterly powerless, but showed themselves capable both of extreme good and evil regardless of this. Their histories were burdened with constant bloodshed, yet tempered with an unexplainable capability of kindness and purity in their dealings with each other. They were as diverse as the many races within the Force's galaxy, but the same in their basic desires. Their unique trait of self-centeredness that the Dark saw in them was perhaps the only thing it found admirable about them. They balanced it in a way the Dark envied and used as fuel for its hatred of the silent Counterpart._

 _The Dark Side did not want the Chosen One to be dominated by the foolish whims of the Light Side, but the Force knew the devastation that would be inflicted on the galaxy – and the Force itself – should the Dark Side grow too powerful. The Force had felt it before._

 _And perhaps one of the greatest problems with existing outside of time is that events that have 'yet' to happen are already known; already felt._

… _Perhaps something should be done, but…_

 _With a quick glace towards the Counterpart, the Dark engaged the Light and for once, the Light stayed silent and listened to it until it was finished. The quiet persisted for a while until the Force saw how this might affect itself and the galaxy._

 _Then the Force did something it had never done before._

 _The Force found a little lifeform within its galaxy, a newly lit light flickering so faintly it knew it would not be long before it rejoined the Force, but it reached out to the lifeform and the Dark Side moved within the midiclorians, shaping them in a way one of its fervent followers had done not so long ago, but embellished the changes made to them to suit a different purpose. It sustained the form, even as the wavering little light flickered out. It was empty…waiting._

 _As one, the Force took one of the Counterpart's spirit children as it passed from its mortal coil and slipped it into the form they had molded to suit it._

 _For several beats, nothing happened…but fortunately the soul held within it the desire to live. The altered midiclorians reached out and the soul successfully took hold, becoming one with its new form; it began to grow…and it lived._

 _But then the Force trembled as the Counterpart suddenly_ _ **raged**_ _ **!**_ _It grew furious at the theft of its spirit child and a torrent of outraged jealousy and anger greater than that of the Dark Side turned upon them both! The Force tried to push back and stand against the fury that descended upon it, but the Counterpart continued relentlessly until it finally pushed past and touched the spirit child that was taken from it. The Counterpart then renewed within the newly reformed life the connection that the soul had known in its existence within the Counterpart's care; the connection between the Counterpart and its child was not lost. It was revived._

 _The Counterpart then withdrew into itself, but turned and addressed the Force for the first time._

 _And what was said between the Counterpart and the Force…_

… _is unknown…_


	2. Chapter 1: Birth

Chapter 1: Birth

"Push!"

The woman screamed hoarsely as the contractions hit once again, ripping through her body, but still she obeyed her husband's voice from beside her and focused on her tremendous task at hand. The medical droids hovered just to the side, giving out readings, monitoring her body's signs and relaying them to the doctor as he coached her through her labor.

It had been nine months. A complete nine, agonizing months this time! She had never been able to carry a child to full term before. And upon the exact date the medical droids had predicted she had gone into labor early that morning.

Her breath came out of her lungs in short gasps, fatigue pulled at her, but she had to continue; it was almost over!

"Push again! They can see the head!"

Against her will, the pain of labor stirred her rising panic. Surely it wasn't supposed to be this difficult. What if something was wrong? What if she lost another baby?

A contraction hit her hard and she grit her teeth against it. No, she couldn't think like that now. There had been no difficulty during this pregnancy; she had done everything right this time! She'd felt no cramps, no sudden pains, she'd gone so far as to confine herself to her room and not leave her bed for days to keep herself steady and fight down the anxiety of what might happen – what she might do – if this child didn't make it.

When she had made it into her second trimester, only then had she dared to leave the house and go see the medical droids with her husband. No abnormalities or defects, they said. The baby was perfectly healthy. _This one_ would make it.

Her voice split through the room again as she continued to struggle with her body to deliver her child into the world.

It was her fourth pregnancy, but it was only the second time she'd given birth.

The woman gasped for more air and tears continued to leak from her eyes as she prayed with all her heart to not be forced to hear the agonizing silence that had cloaked her last child.

Her precious little boy, who had never even breathed.

Please, not this child!

This one had to live!

"One more time! Just push one more time!"

Crying out once more, the woman summoned all of her remaining strength as she felt the baby _move_ downward and pulled out from her body before her head fell back against the support pillows and her vision darkened.

She did not know how long she had been passed out. When she awoke, she was already cleaned and changed from the hospital gown she had worn during labor. Fear suddenly gripped her in its icy claws. Where was her baby?! Had it lived? Where had they taken it?

Her husband sat peacefully at her bedside with his arms crossed across the mattress and his head laid down on his arms. His dark brown hair fell forward in an uncharacteristic state of disarray from its normal style smoothed back over his head. She winced at her sore body and her breathing hitched in agitation; she started shaking her husband's arm as hard as she could, gasping out, "Devahin! Devahin, where's our baby? Is it okay? Please, tell me-tell me it's okay!"

Her pleas stirred him and Devahin blinked awake, raising his head from his arms as his kind brown eyes met hers.

All it took was a look.

The beginnings of a smile creeping across his face and in an instant, her heart leaped up into her throat and soared. Hope ignited every one of her senses while her husband's hand wiped the fresh tears from her face and stroked her short, damp hair.

"It's alright, Savah. Love, you did it! We did it! We have a daughter!"

He was exhausted too, she could see now. There were dark circles under his joyful eyes and his broad shoulders were relaxed and free of tension. He had probably tried to stay awake until she had regained consciousness despite having not slept since her contractions had started. Almost a day ago, she realized.

"I saw her with the maternity droids not too long ago." He continued in a hushed voice but still excited.

"Everyone says that she's perfectly healthy. She hasn't stopped crying since she got here, but the doctors say that just means she's strong and her lungs are fully developed. They started checking her vitals after they cleaned her, maybe, two hours ago and should be finishing their final check-ups soon, before they bring her in to us." He paused as swallowed. "They were more worried about you when you passed out. They- I almost lost _you_ this time, Savah."

She limply lifted her hand to stroke the side of her husband's face reassuringly and he placed his crown against hers. "We made it, though. We're parents, now."

At his news and the sound of wonder in Devahin's voice, Savah felt a flood of relief and joy course through her. When she made to speak again, a shrill sound directed her attention to the hallway outside the door of her room. As soon as it opened, they were immediately greeted by the sound of an infant screaming at the top of their lungs; demanding, resilient, and _loud_ as it washed over the pair. The nurse entered and turned to speak to Devahin as the medical droid rolled to the side of the bed and laid the small pink-wrapped bundle into Savah's waiting arms. She didn't hear a word of what was said between her husband and the nurse or the droid's congratulations, she just gazed down at the little girl – _her'sandDevahin's_ – still crying loudly; her tiny hands curled and flailing against the confines of her blanket.

It was the most beautiful sound Savah had ever heard.

Then the babe's eyes opened and the new mother was greeted with twin hazel orbs, an exact match to her own, staring through the blue all babies are born with, right back at her.

She was so engrossed in her daughter, she didn't even notice when the nurse and medical droid left the room. Neither did she look up when her husband eased his arm around her back and sat close to her on the hospital bed. Devahin offered his fingers out into the path of his newborn child's hands; twitching as if spooked when his index finger was immediately grasped tightly and the infant's struggles subsided, although her crying continued as loudly as before.

For several minutes, the small family just sat there enjoying the warmth of each other and silently welcoming its newest member.

"She's perfect." He murmured in an awed whisper.

Savah turned. Devahin's smile was filled with pure joy and she felt like she could burst from happiness at the sight of the tears misting his eyes. She had dreamed of seeing his face like this for so long, of holding their child in her arms and being together like this as a family. Instinct took over and she moved her hospital gown to begin breastfeeding the little girl who ceased crying, responding easily to her mother's coaxing.

Devahin gently withdrew his finger and settled to watch the precious sight before him.

"Mother would have loved her too." He remarked softly.

Savah felt her happiness dim at the melancholy that stole over Devahin's expression, caught in the memory of her mother-in-law's recent passing.

"Have you named her yet?" Savah asked.

Devahin shook his head.

"No. I wanted to wait and do it together. It's-, I mean, with everything that…it's been so–"

As he faltered, in an uncommon bout of speechlessness to his wife's amusement, she placed her hand on the one he had on her shoulder, smiling.

"Korrah." She said.

Devahin tilted his head to the side at the mention of his mother's name.

"Korrah Hyymn." Savah insisted.

The melancholy in his eyes was still there, but as her husband looked back to their daughter, it seemed to dissolve the longer he considered what she was saying. His posture grew lighter than it had been in months. He sighed deeply, but at the same time he was still smiling genuinely.

"And here I thought we had agreed on 'Audaum Hyymn'."

Savah scoffed lightly, "I'm sure Sommer can continue the tradition of coming up with names that complement the surname 'Hyymn' with his own children. Should that stubborn brother of yours ever settle down and get married, of course." She carefully readjusted her grip on the feeding infant. "And if anyone deserves to have a child named after them, I'll stand by my word that your saint of a mother is among the most deserving."

"Besides," Savah gave a weak one-shouldered shrug. "Korrah - your mother - was also born in the Fall, so it still works."

Her husband laughed lightly and soon the couple noticed that their baby girl had quieted down and stopped breastfeeding. Seemingly sated and exhausted from her wailing the newborn slowly dozed off in her mother's arms. Savah felt her eyes grow heavy as well as she unconsciously leaned more into Devahin. The new father brushed the ends of his fingers over their daughter's wispy brown hair that dusted her crown.

"Korrah Hyymn, it is then." He sighed contentedly.

"I suppose this means I can tell Sommer the good news, huh?"

He looked down, but his wife had already joined their daughter in sleep. Sighing contentedly he leaned down to kiss his wife's forehead. Pressing the medical staff call button, Devahin alerted the nurse and medical droid to return to the room then gently removed himself from the bed. The nurse assured him that he would be notified immediately upon his wife's awakening and congratulated him once again before leaving to return little Korrah to the Infant's Ward. Taking out his comlink, Devahin exited the room to stand just outside the doorway so as not to disturb his wife's sleep then waited until another male voice came over the connection. It took less than a minute before the connection was established.

Sommer's worried voice characteristically came out sounding as if he was irritated, but it obviously failed to disguise his true feelings.

"It's about time you called me Devahin, now how is everything? Did the baby make it? How's Savah, how's she doing?"

Devahin allowed himself a moment to feel touched by his older brother's concern before he took a deep breath and let all his tension go with the following exhale. A euphoric smile spread across his face again as he replied.

"Everything's fine, Sommer. Nothing's wrong! Our daughter is completely healthy, strong and the doctors say we have nothing to worry about. Savah finished feeding her just a few minutes ago; she's resting now, but she'll make a full recovery as well and we'll all be back home within a few weeks. It's – it's unbelievable!"

He could hear his older brother heave a sigh of relief and mutter something under his breath before he returned to speaking in his usual carefree drawl. "Kriffin' hels, man, you finally did it! I mean, by Chandra, I really can't tell you how happy I am for you right now; both of you. Did you two decide on a name yet?"

The new father leaned his back against the wall, running a hand through his tangled dark hair in an attempt to smooth it back into its proper place.

"Yeah, Savah decided to name her Korrah Hyymn…after Mom." He said.

Sommer paused for a second before voicing his opinion.

"Well, that makes sense of course. Mom is…I mean was, um…'Korrah' is a great name to have. Though I thought for sure you were going to copy Mom's little naming quirk. Tell me, did baby-Korrah sing out a 'divine hymn' just like her daddy did when he was born?"

Devahin cast his eyes upwards to the white ceiling of the Med Center hallway at the familiar, insipid joke Sommer had pestered him with during their childhood before shrugging it off with practiced ease.

"Go kiss a gundark, Sommer, that's your responsibility now. Korrah started crying the second she was born. Actually, she didn't stop screaming until Savah started to feed her, but the medical droid said that's normal and a very good thing. No fluid in the lungs, fully developed, or something like that. I really wasn't paying attention at that point."

Sommer huffed from across the comlinks connection, "Well then, congratulations. I wager your little girl will be the greatest public speaker Chandrila's ever seen with a voice like that…oh, or maybe an opera singer! Oh, wouldn't that be heavenly-!"

Devahin sighed and waved away a courteous medical droid, dismissing its offer of assistance or direction before he interrupted his brother's stupid jokes.

"Alright, enough with your sad attempts at humor, Sommer. By the way, I know Savah will probably ask me to invite you over to meet your niece sometime soon, so try to free up your schedule for at least a few days later this month for a visit, okay?"

Sommer replied affirmatively.

"I look forward to that and thanks for giving me the good news, but I'll have to get back to you later about the visit. Right now, the fundraiser I'm helping to organizing is still going on and I know Griffen will be asking for my help on something or other, especially with elections coming up next week."

"I understand, I know you're busy. I'll com you again if anything comes up with Savah or the bab- with Korrah."

Devahin said his farwells to his brother and cut the connection, placing his comlink back in his pocket. Rather than rejoining his wife in her room, he wandered off down the Med Center hallways until he entered the Infant's Ward and stood gazing through the plastiglass window at the small sleeping bundle that was his daughter, lying among the rows of other newborn infants.

He had almost given up on ever experiencing this moment, and yet now that it was happening, he found it was as if he couldn't imagine a time beyond it. After all the pain he had witnessed Savah suffer through during her first two miscarriages and the heartbreak that had followed the premature birth of their stillborn son, he had wanted to stop.

The pain had been just too much for him and even worse, he felt like he had been trapped on the sidelines, watching every loss take its toll on his wife unable to help. And selfish as if may have been, he had known he couldn't risk losing her too if she overreached her body's limits like the doctors had warned them was possible, or worse, lost her to her increasing depression.

However, his mother had encourage him not to give up. That this one – _this child would make it_ – and...it had given him the courage to try; just one more time.

For eight months everything had been fine and he had finally dared to hope again, but when his mother had suddenly died he'd almost taken it as a sign, the foreshadowing of the inevitable grief he and his wife had become so familiar with. Throughout that last, terrifying month, his hope had constantly struggled against his fears on how this would end. Then, in the split second that he had hear his daughter's first cry, all his fears vanished like smoke and he knew his mother had been _right_.

And nothing could have prepared him for this kind of joy.

Devahin let his head sag forward against the cold plasiglass, unable to tear his eyes from the perfect little miracle behind it. It wasn't long until they started to mist and he sniffed, placing his hand on the window separating him and his child before he allowed the overwhelming emotions within him to spill out, trailing over his cheeks.

" _I'm a father!"  
_

* * *

Three days seemed to pass by the new parents in mere seconds until Savah and Devahin received the news that they were free to take their daughter home. A helpful medical droid led them to the Infant's Ward where Savah carefully lifted her baby into her arms, shushing the little girl's indignant cries at being moved from her bed.

However, just before they could depart from the Med Center, they were held up by a Med Center staff member who sat down with them to discuss something that had come up during their daughter routine health check. The couple soon found themselves faced with an unexpected proposition.

"I'm sorry, but…a high midiclorian count? Devahin repeated.

The nurse flicked his stylus forward in what Devahin assumed had been meant to be seen as a reassuring gesture, but after what had just been said, it simply came off as patronizing to the new father.

"Please don't be alarmed, Mr. Hyymn, it isn't anything detrimental."

He seemingly deciding that this needed further explanation and so the man behind the desk continued in a clipped tone.

"Midiclorians are simply microscopic organisms that live symbiotically within all living beings and a high quantity within a person's cells is commonly correlated with the phenomenon of Force-sensitivity. Checking an infant's midiclorian count after their birth is a standard procedure on all planets within the Galactic Republic."

As the male nurse primly rattled off his explanation, his beady eyes glanced down at his datapad from behind his glasses. He readjusted them slightly on the bridge of his nose.

"Although, I have to admit, your daughter's midiclorian levels are above and beyond anything that we have on record. I'm certain that the Jedi would welcome her into their Order."

Savah's face had started to lose its color over the past few minutes and her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Devahin quickly glanced at her in concern and picked up on his wife's thoughts immediately.

He shook his head. "That won't be necessary. We don't have any intention of letting go of our daughter or contacting the Jedi." He said decisively.

The nurse – Moji, or was it Morrie; Devahin couldn't remember his name – blinked owlishly as if he had never even consider the idea that they would refuse to contact the Jedi Order. He set his stylus down and Devahn felt and increasing feeling of foreboding at the man's change in posture.

"Mr. Hyymn, I'm sure that, given some time to reconsider-"

"Oh no, don't you start antagonizing them, Mogie."

A miffed voice cut through the previous speaker's insistence and a Mon Calamari female clad in a long white coat strode into the small office. She was holding her own datapad in her webbed hands and crossed her arms imperiously upon stepping into the room.

"If they don't want to give up their daughter and that's their final decision don't try to keep pressuring them into saying otherwise. Mark it down that they've refused the option of contacting the Jedi Order and file it away so these people can leave and get home already."

The Mon Calamari seemed to stare down her nose at her coworker.

"And once you're finished filling it away you can go report to Doctor Gurtan, he's been asking for you."

Mogie shot a disgruntled glance sideways at the doctor, but submitted to the commands of his superior.

"Very well, Doctor Treeniv." He replied.

After making several amendments to the datapad with a quick flick of his stylus, he nodded curtly to the occupants of the room and exited without another word.

Doctor Treeniv huffed out a quick breath and turned to Savah.

"I'm sorry I took so long to see you, but my work has been keeping me very busy lately. I'm just glad I've now got a few minutes to see you before you leave and give my congratulations. And it's always good to see you too, Devahin."

Savah had relaxed upon the doctor's entrance and breathed in a sigh of relief before hugging her warmly, taking care not to jostle Korrah.

The Mon Calamari, Doctor Lorrie Treeniv, was a childhood friend of the new mother and an unwavering source of support over the past nine months.

Lorrie pulled back from the embrace and stared down with huge, round eyes at the newborn child.

"Actually, Mogie was right when he said your daughter has an…unprecedentedly high midiclorian count, but…well, that's not a qualification that mandates she must be automatically enrolled as a Jedi. The decision ultimately is up to you as the parents." She informed them.

Savah pulled her dozing baby girl closer to her chest and sucked in a shaky breath.

"Lorri, I – I could never think of giving her up. I mean,…it's just too soon after we got her and – everything it took to get here…"

The amphibious doctor placed an understanding hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry about Mogie's…enthusiasm over this particular matter. He's had a personal fascination with the Jedi and their ways for as long as I've known him. He shouldn't have let it get involved in his work, but what can you do? Anyway, that ends all the necessary paperwork for you both, and you are now officially discharged and free to go."

The Mon Calamari tapped her datapad and turned to shake hands with Devahin before stepping back towards the door.

"Thank you, Lorri." Savah said.

Lorri flippantly waved her hand at her friend's gratitude.

"Honestly, don't think anything of it. You've been my best friend for years. I _know_ how much this means to you, Savah. Now go home, rest and take it easy for a couple days. But just know I'll be dropping by with Marrine and Tylie within the next few weeks to visit. They'll want to see you too. And little Korrah of course."

With one last parting smile they exited the office and went their separate ways. After a short trip by hover-car to the family's home, Devahin entered his office while Savah quickly went about settling her daughter into the crib that was placed in a corner of her and her husband's room, which would now double as a nursery.

The couple retired for the night exhausted, only for Savah to raise herself out of bed several hours later as the baby began to cry.

She chuckled to herself as she heard Devahin groaning to himself, "And so it begins...".

Savah left the bedroom for the living room as Korrah refused to feed and instead wept louder and harder. Savah held her close and rocked her gently until her cries gradually reduced to whimpers and hiccups. After she was finally settled down and fed the young mother began to sing softly to her daughter, basking in the beautiful moment that she'd dreamed of for so many years.

Savah was looking down into the little girl's eyes when suddenly, she felt an icy chill travel down her back.

She felt and inexplicable sense of…loss come over her. The haunting echo of a soul-deep wound as she stared into those eyes.

Nurse Mogie's persistent proposition of giving her away to the Jedi Order plagued the edges of her mind now, and she breathed in sharply, brushing aside the foreign sensation and a fearful foreboding.

"You're not going anywhere, Korrah. You're safe here. You're staying here."

Her little girl hiccuped and Savah continued to rock her beloved child.

"Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this far into my story and I hope you have enjoyed it! This will be taking a little bit of time to get things situated and established before anything really starts happening. There will be some insight into 'Korrah's' point of view in a short while that might clear up some curiosity anyone might have over the 'SI/OC AU' tag in the summary; which this is.

I have a very detailed timeline/outline for this story, so if it seems at any point that I'm just dithering about, rest assured I have a plan for where I want to go with this. I'm going to _try_ for a new chapter every two weeks (but more likely three; boo real life) so this will be slow to update and I thank you for your patience.

For anyone curious as to whether any of my other stories will updated soon, I'm sorry, but even though I'm returning to writing after so many years, I'm more focused on my new works. I might go back at some point and see if I can continue them, but looking back on my writing style makes me cringe. And honestly, it's been a while since I was so into those fandoms I don't think I could muster up the appropriate about of effort towards them. We'll see what happens, I guess.

Thank you once again and hopefully I'll see you again with my next chapter!


	3. Chapter 2: Awakening

**A/N: I don't know where all this free time suddenly came from, but it's thanks to that I got this chapter done earlier than I previously anticipated. I do not expect this sort of serendipitous luck to happen again for a while so I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. My previous schedule of one update every two to three weeks still stands.  
**

 **Also, a loving 'Thank you' to Ducky9002 for being my unofficial, on-the-fly 'beta'. Your input has helped me immensely.**

 **IMPORTANT: *Revised and re-uploaded - 10/27/16; I'm sorry for missing so many things in this chapter, but here is the improved version of this chapter. Thank you all for your patience.**

 **Disclaimer here: I own nothing but all OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Awakening

It is a simple thing, the mind of a child.

And in its simplicity, there is an unmatched beauty.

As a new life opens its eyes to the world, it begins to take in the light, the colors, the sounds, smells and feelings all at once; experiencing for the first time the harmonious splendor of simply being _alive._ As time treks on, each individual's senses takes on a greater shape. They become more defined and build their understanding of the world around them. It is an innocence that will sadly fade into memory as the mind that holds these early times matures from early childhood on into adulthood.

And for one child, the shattering of her innocence came far too soon.

Two years had passed for the Hyymn family and they were happy. The dark-haired toddler had grown up into a healthy little girl and was the delight of her parent's lives. Savah's lifelong dream of having a child of her own to care for had finally come true and she took to motherhood as one born for the role. She left her previous job mentoring in the local Chandrila Youth Legislator program, leaving behind her young friend Tylie to step forward and fill her place. Goodbyes and well wishes were given at her departure but no one left behind believed there could have been a more worthwhile reason for Savah to go. Life became a routine of caring for baby Korrah and the home; a drastic change at first, but still busy enough for her to feel accomplished by the end of each day.

Her husband returned to his job, which involved working alongside his brother amid the energized democracy of Chandrila's political atmosphere. As most of the planet's population lived in scattered, small communities rather than great metropolises, Sommer lived a ways away from them closer to the Chandrilan House; the ruling body of Chandrila. As such, the two of them were in constant contact over comlink calls and holo-messages when they had the time. Sommer's talent for order very often got him employed in spearheading and organizing the campaigns for many of the planet's most reputable legislators. In contrast, Devahin's job allowed him to stay closer to his family and home as his work was focused more towards the written and spoken word. He possessed an acute gift for word-smithing and was reputed as a silver-tongued political commentator; weekly publishing his critique on recent speeches, debates and legislation that passed through the Town Hall as well as transcribing these events.

On his normal schedule, Devahin would usually be contained to his study within his home, sometimes for up to several days at a time to write out a summary of a debate (as Chandrilans were notorious for their love of debate and democracy and as such, these engagements could easily last for an entire day). He would also write letters to advise advancing legislators, but when he was free, he delighted in spending time with his wife and little girl.

He would play with Korrah in his spare time during the afternoons and – when he had no calls to make – he would read his favorite books aloud in the evenings as they sat in a large, blue chair in their small library (his favorite place in the house) with little Korrah supported on his side. While he knew she could not truly comprehend what he was saying, the closeness the shared activity brought was genuinely precious to Devahin. The simple act of listening to his smooth, tenor voice wash over her as he moved his finger with the flow of words in front of them seemed to make his daughter happy just to stay still and relax. Devahin could rarely recall moments more precious than these.

…Even if his little girl would fall asleep somewhere in the middle of the political texts and look so peaceful his arm would fall asleep because he was too entranced to disturb her.

As time passed and she grew into her first year, this evening reading time became her most common demand of him and Devahin never failed to smile when she began to try babbling the words back at him as she pointed to the pages.

And yet…however peaceful and natural their lives may have seemed to an outsider, it was also an undeniable fact in the lives of Savah and Devahin that their daughter was…different; special.

Back when she was still a baby around six months old, Korrah had started to push or pull things that caught her attention. It didn't matter whether the desired object was too far out of her reach or not, a toy or her mother's jewelry would suddenly twitch or jerk from their stationary position; usually, towards the curious baby. During her induction to solid food, Devahin would find the spoon he'd be trying to feed Korrah with suddenly ripped from his hand and clatter to the floor or having the offensive cuisine splattered across the walls in an impressive display even the most creative of children would have been had pressed to recreate. More than once Savah nearly had a heart attack from Korrah innocently pulling sharp objects or hot pans towards her with this invisible 'force'.

Korrah had powers. Devahin and Savah knew this and they knew it well, but her parents didn't care. They loved their daughter and were determined to raise her so they adapted. Each new experience lent them new knowledge to develop small and simple tricks to take specific precautions so that they'd be at least one step ahead of their child's curious nature.

Korrah would also have dreams, but for these there was little her parents could do. When she would wake up from a nightmare she'd crawl into her parent's bed and they'd allow her to curl up between them. The little girl could never recall what she had dreamt the next day so these common disturbances in the night were bared in silence, but an extra hug and kiss on the cheek in the mornings.

Anyone could tell that Korrah was a happy and loved child, and yet by an intangible instinct that only mothers possess, Savah could never truly shake seeing a brief flash of melancholy in her daughter's hazel green eyes at times. Nor could she completely ignore a sense of loss that followed her little Korrah like a faded perfume. She couldn't give a reason for her feelings, but it worried her.

Little Korrah didn't know why either. She was too young to communicate what she felt sometimes, much less explain or understand why.

Then truth was revealed to her.

It was without warning.

And it came too soon.

* * *

It was five months since little Korrah's second birthday and she was playing in the small rear garden of their home. She was chasing a fluffy, white-furred squall dressed in a tiny red vest her Uncle Sommer had given to her as a present during one of his sparse visits. She had promptly named it "Wabbit!" after first catching sight of the adorable, flop-eared animal and in the line of thought common to nearly every young child, set out to demonstrate her overflowing affections through abundant petting and cuddling. Devahin was currently in the middle of a call with a coworker while Savah was helping her husband by reviewing some of his speeches and assorted paperwork; sitting contentedly on the short patio in the rear garden and keeping an eye on their daughter as she ran excitedly around after her new pet.

The squall made a daring maneuver by darting between Korrah's legs and she stumbled, ended up sprawled over on the soft balmgrass of the garden. Instead of crying however, she giggled at the quick evasion and remained undeterred in her pursuit of her pet squall, immediately looking up and around for where it had hopped off to. The growing two-year-old was in the process of getting back up when her attention was temporarily diverted from the squall by what looked like a large, three-horned and purple beetle crawling among the short balmgrass, marching diligently onward while carrying a small round leaf on its back.

The squall named 'Wabbit', meanwhile, peered around itself. When the little animal deemed its diminutive pursuer was no longer coming after it, it bent down to drink from the refreshing, cool water of the shallow fish pond centered in the garden.

Unfortunately for Wabbit, Korrah had quickly lost interest in the beetle and had begun slowly walking up behind the squall before she quickly jumped forward with her arms wide to each side, hoping to block off its escape and finally be able to rub her hands over its soft, fluffy, white fur.

She succeeded in approaching the distracted mammal silently and when the squall finished drinking it quickly looked for a safe route away from the 'grabby-human-child'. Korrah was too close to avoid and with her arms cutting off escape from the sides, the squall saw only one way out. Tensing its legs, the little creature made a desperate leap over and across the pond.

Korrah, having not anticipated this, tried in vain to jump too and grab her pet as it launched itself through the air. Unfortunately in doing this, she failed to keep track of the edge of the pond. Her shoe caught on a decorative stone lining the pond's rim and as the white-furred, red-vested squall landed on the other side of the pond, Korrah splashed face-first into it.

For a second after she was submerged underwater, nothing was wrong. The two-year-old girl had been taught by her mother how to hold her breath in the bathtub in case an accident like this were to happen and the pond was only three feet at its deepest, but Korrah's ability to right herself was suddenly rendered impossible.

Her mind was abruptly swept away from her senses in a riptide of swirling energy…

– _the world was spinning…-er face was splattered with muddy rain and broken glass as the windshield shattered with a horrible_ _ ***crack***_ _–_

…she was caught in an unforgivable current of unfamiliar images, igniting a previously unknown terror.

– _Alan was crying…scared…Ken's voice, he…-ed in pain! Her boys! Were they oka –_

Confused and scared, she started thrashing about wildly. Her fear only compounded as her mouth opened and filled with water as she tried to scream!

– _dirt and water everywhere, filling the vehicle!...still upside down, her sons…Tori and Alan were still crying and her side burned…-branch, impaled through her side –_

Hands suddenly lifted her out of the water, but the images didn't stop! They continued assaulting her mind; faster, swirling and invading her consciousness, bringing her to her knees…she couldn't get away!...

…being carried…

…Someone was screaming…

… _I'm dead…._

* * *

It was a strange and distant concept to think how circumstances can so drastically change in the space of one moment and the next. That is, until one finds themselves in such a situation they can point at in bewilderment. Harshly swallowing the self-reprimanding guilt in her mind as she hurried indoors carrying her sobbing daughter, Savah forced herself to suppress the urge to panic. She had only taken her eyes off of Korrah for a few seconds -just a few!- to re-read those _kriffin_ papers-!

Her daughter started to cry louder, clutching her head. What if she'd hit it when she'd fallen? There wasn't any blood that she could see-!

"Shhh, it's okay, Korrah, you're alright. I know, that was scary. We'll get you dried off and changed, alright?" she cooed reassuringly to her daughter while quickly walking into the fresher and grabbed a large, soft towel.

She set the soaked little girl down on the floor and began to dry her off continuing to speak in a soothing tone, "It was an accident, I know. Does anything hurt, Korrah? Did you hit your head?" Korrah continued to sob before she heaved and coughed up several mouthfuls of pond water on the fresher floor.

Savah wiped her mouth with the corner of the towel. "There, that's alright. If there's any more that needs to come up let it me know, I'll get you a bowl." She gently stroked her daughter's head with the towel, checking and failing to locate any bump or cut to her relief.

Korrah was now shaking in her hold. _"She's probably cold or maybe in slight shock."_ Savah guessed. The thought worried her, Korrah was usually a rather resilient child so this prolonged upset behavior came as a shock to her. She wrapped the towel around her to warm her up, but Korrah began to flail her arms again and push away the towel before she jerked and grasped her head back in her hands.

Savah stroked her hand that was clutching head tightly and pulling her hair. "Korrah, dear, is it your head? Does it hurt? Please, let me see-"

There was a beat in time when everything seemed to stand completely still and a whisper of warning ghosted over Savah's mind. Then she felt a solid, invisible wall slam into her, throwing her backwards through the air, out of the fresher and into the hallway. Her back collided against the wall hard enough to knock the breath from her with a sharp gasp and she lay stunned for several seconds as her daughter crumpled to the ground and curled up into herself. She saw tears leaking from her little girl's eyes as she jerked again, crying out in as if in pain then whimpering as she bit down on her lip hard enough to make it bleed.

"Korrah!" she called out horror.

But Korrah didn't seem to hear her. She screamed again and very corner of the house shook, rattling pictures from the walls and a crescendo of several objects shattering on the floor could be heard from elsewhere in the house. The mirror in the fresher burst in a shower of broken shards and Savah hurled herself back over to her daughter without thinking, shielding her from the flying sharp pieces.

Amidst all this, Savah's mind was trying desperately to keep up with what was happening around her.

" _What is happening?! Is it Korrah – did she…somehow lose control of her powers?"_

"Savah!" she heard Devahin dashing down the hallway, appearing in the fresher doorway a moment later. "Are you alright? Where's Korrah is she- oh, Chandra, are you both all right?"

There was a small line of blood dripping down his temple, but he didn't seem to notice it at all.

" _He's just as shaken as I am."_ Savah realized dimly.

"Devahin, something's wrong! Korrah fell into the pond, she's not injured, but she's- she's-" Her explanation trailed off helplessly. She didn't know what was happening to Korrah. Her daughter was still trembling violently and clutching her head.

" _What do we do?"_ she thought hysterically.

Devahin knelt down with her, carefully avoiding the broken pieces of mirror on the floor and placed his own hands on his panicking daughter, stroking her small hand and back in his own attempt to calm her down. Savah looked up at her husband and started to cry in desperation, "I don't know what's wrong with her! She can't- she won't stop screaming and,…she's not calming down and just now her powers were acting-"

Both of them turned to Korrah when she suddenly froze and gasped. Breathing hard, she sat up slightly and looked around her, this time with more focus onthe room she was in. Savah breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wiped her face.

"…Ma…mama…"

"Korrah, shh, it's okay. We're going to take you to the MedCenter and take care of you. Okay?"

Her daughter's attention seemed lucid and her eyes were out of focus; wandering over her surroundings in and out of focus as if seeing, without really seeing them.

"Wha-…where, who?...when did we get here-" Savah's heart sunk with helplessness and confusion as Korrah's face drained of all color and the two year old started shaking her head and grasping Devahin's arm tightly, pleading with him. "No, oh no, no where are they? Are they dead! They can't be- please say they're not dead! Please, you have to help them, they'll die!"

Devahin reached a hand behind Korrah's back and propped her up to cradle her with Savah. He glanced at her in confusion. "Korrah, calm down, please, you need to calm down. We're going to get help. Who are you talking about?"

The little girl hiccupped and sobbed again. "Please, help them…'elp my-" Korrah's eyes closed and she slumped against Savah, limp and completely passed out.

Devahin rose up from his crouched positon on the fresher floor, grabbing another towel and handed it to Savah.

"I'm calling Lorrie. She needs to see Korrah right away. Get her dried off, grab her a change of clothes and meet me in the speeder as fast as you can."

The urgent yet controlled tone of his voice helped center Savah back to the present. She nodded, forcing herself to focus on the relief of having a set of tasks she knew she could do over the lingering pain of helpless fear, and carried Korrah out of the fresher to her daughter's room.

Devahin pulled out his comlink and punched in the code for the MedCenter as he strode towards the door. "Connect me to Doctor Lorrie Treeniv. Yes, this is an emergency…"

* * *

It was the strangest sensation. She felt like she was…floating…but, how? She wasn't in any pain, but that was alright.

…she couldn't remember why it was alright, though.

" _Am I dead?"_

She was remembering things now. Names, faces and feelings associated with each one started surfacing.

"… _Ken…Ken…Tokugawa…my, boyfriend? No, he's my husband. Kenta…Alan and…Tori. They're my children; my sons. And I'm…my name…what's my name?..._

As this passed through her mind, another thought gently bubbled up to the surface as if in answer.

"… _Laura. Laura…Tokugawa. That's my name. "_

More thoughts drifted by her. Memories of an entire life surrounded her mind, playing out in front of her as she watched…

…A normal, happy childhood with a rotund, strawberry-blonde haired woman; always smiling and standing in the kitchen…a kind, tall man with black hair and a seaman's jacket…a twin sister with a mischievous smile…grandparents – _Great-grandpa John singing those old church songs even at ninety_ –…uncles, aunts, cousins…she had a lot of family.

Friends too. Not as many as her family members, but they were there…a girl with black hair and beautiful slanted brown eyes – _Fei_ –… another girl and a boy with the same eyes but darker skin…the woman – _Laura Tokugawa_ – watched this life _-her life-_ through her own eyes pass by in a peaceful stream. The good and the sad times, years seemed to last only a few seconds in this unnatural cinema.

" _Maybe I'm not dead. Isn't this what happens when you_ _almost_ _die?"_

Happiness bubbled in her chest as she saw her first meeting with Ken and his four year old son, Kenta. The feeling grew as she watched herself grow closer and matured into familiar love…their wedding…the birth of their twin sons, Alan and Tori…Kenta's tenth birthday…traveling to Japan together…so much good and happiness was contained in her memories. She never wanted it to end…

…it was raining harder. She saw a fifteen year old Kenta fifteen help his father load the truck with the last of the camping gear.

She suddenly began to feel colder…hesitant…she didn't want to see what came next.

She started hearing voices echo around her…

…"-and you started it!"…

…"-still owe you for that fish, _kono gaki_. We'll see-"…

…"-nd Tori, keep your seatbelt on. We have-"…

…"-aught…-ashflood-…-on't w-…-old on!"…

She felt frozen. She tried to fight the flow of memories from showing her anymore as they became blurred images and jolting impressions of panic, the gut churning sensation of free-falling and sudden pain…

…"-enta!...your brothers! Make sure-"

"-arm! I can't move it-"

…There was a note of finality bleeding into her mind as she saw the jagged branch – two inches thick – impaling her right side. She could _feel_ it _inside her gut_...

" _Stop…please!"_

...so much blood…it hurt…agonizing…her boys! Where they okay?…

…"No!...-aura!"…

…"Mom!-…-kaa-san, please!-"…

Then the memories and pain finally stopped. She was left alone, floating…

" _I am dead."_ She thought. It was sad, sobering realization.

"… _but no. If I died…I-I'm…awake? Somehow…so why?"_

No one answer to her questions.

It was impossible to tell how long she remained in this weightless purgatory, but she became aware of a heaviness settling into her limbs.

" _What's happening to me?"_

The…world around her grew darker and her body grew heavier; almost unbearable. She tried to move, but found that she couldn't. Then light began to flood back into her view.

" _I'm dead…or already awake…why am I waking up? Am I still alive?"_

She fought against the heaviness, straining towards the light…

…

…and blinked. The room around her was now white. Was she in a hospital? It looked…strange.

"Korrah!"

A feminine voice came from her right and a woman with short blonde hair came beside her bed to reach out and stroke the side of her face.

"Dear, are you okay now? How do you feel?"

She stared at the woman, noticing how…very small she felt next to her.

She tried to speak. "Wh-" her voice was cut off as she choked on a dry throat. The woman turned and took a clear glass filled with water a…a robot?...placing her hand behind her head and helping her drink.

"There. Just take it easy, you've been very…sick, Korrah."

She stared up at this woman again. Memories began surfacing within her mind one more time, but this time they were different. New and effervescent, she felt unconditional trust for this woman alongside an intimate desire for comfort and protection. She'd felt the same before with her…

"Mama," she said softly before she could even put any more thought into it. The woman watched at her expectantly. "…m-my head hurts." She mumbled softly. Speaking was harder than it used to be. Had she suffered a brain injury?

The woman started stroking her hair. "Shh. It's okay, dear. I'll get the doctor to give you some medicine for that."

This woman's touch _–mama-_ …it was nice. Comforting.

From the corner of her eye, there was some movement on the other side of the room. "Savah?" a male voice asked sleepily and the woman turned at the address. A man with messed up, dark hair brushed back over his head got up from where he was seated and came up to the bed, kneeling down beside the woman with a look of deep concern etched onto his face.

It was so raw and genuine, and that same unconditional bond of trust she felt with the blonde woman – _Savah_ – was all throughout her body, keeping her from feeling anything but protected by this man's presence.

" _Just like Dad…"_

She was unable to keep looking back at him and instead looked down at herself. She really was small. Turning her head to the left she found she could see herself clearly in the reflective surface of a metal cabinet.

She was a child.

The displaced soul looked up at the woman.

– _Mama…Savah. –_

Then at the man beside her.

– … _Papa…–_

He had kind brown eyes and there was a small bandage on his left temple.

" _This isn't real."_ She denied; her mind numb.

The door to the room slid open and in walked a – humanoid fish, alien-thing?

" _A…what is…a Mon Calamari? What's going on?"_

– along with another _human_ man; older than the one by her bedside whom the alien addressed.

"You look terrible, Devahin."

The now identified man sitting by her bed merely smiled and shrugged. "It's been a rough night." He replied simply, though his face seemed to grow more tired with the admission.

The Mon Calamari rolled her huge fish eyes. "I told you to go get some caff instead of sleeping in that chair when I left, didn't I?" she turned to the woman, Savah. "Would you please help her sit up? I'll just be asking her a couple of questions once I get her vitals."

Devahin took up a position standing at the foot of her bed while her…mother propped her up against some pillows.

'Korrah' lay obediently in the bed as the… _Mon Calamari doctor_ did a quick scan-like thing and pricked her neck so fast that she didn't even feel it. Once she was done, she smiled at her. It looked weird, but what was weirder was the lack of discomfort seeing it. "I'm glad to see you awake, Korrah. How are you feeling?"

"…tired." She said.

"Do you remember what happened before you got here?"

She did; she had…drowned and…no, she had fallen into a lake? Pond? The new memories were conflicting with her memories of the flashflood and the accident. Both overlaying the other, bringing back unpleasant echoes of fear and pain.

"There was too much water and I…" she stopped herself and looked at the man and woman who felt like her 'parents'. "I was really scared." She finished.

The doctor nodded understandingly. "Almost drowning is a frightening experience. You're alright though, your mother pulled you out of the pond you fell into and dried you off. But do you remember anything about that time; after falling into the pond?"

She didn't feel comfortable talking in front of these people. Not when she didn't know what was going on. "No…I think I fell asleep."

"Did you dream while you were asleep?"

That question sounded suspiciously knowing.

She nodded slowly. "I…yes…I had…dreams." If any of them asked her to say what they were about she was determined not to say anything more. This was all too confusing. She wanted answers to her own questions. Where was she? Why was she here and why did she look like a child? What about _her_ family?

Devahin spoke up from where he was seated at the foot of her bed. "When you were…dreaming." He paused for a second. "Did…you see anything?"

Against her will, her eyes started to fill with tears and spilled over her cheeks. She looked down at her hands…her small, child-like hands. All of a sudden she didn't feel like lying anymore.

"…I died." She said in a small voice.

Once the tears started, they wouldn't stop. The truth and gravity of what she had said – _Laura Tokugawa was dead_ – the weight of everything she had lost began to set in. And like the child she wasn't, yet was again now, she allowed herself to be pulled into the woman's – _mama's_ – embrace and clung to her as she cried freely.

" _I died. I really am dead. What's happening to me?"_

* * *

Korrah Hyymn – _that was her name now_ – lay against Savah's leg as she and the other two members of her 'family' were seated on some cushioned chairs they had settled into after they were lead into an office by the…Mon Calamarian and human nurse. The little girl pretended to be asleep as the adults around her conversed unsuspectingly.

The Mon Calamari, Doctor Lorrie, sighed behind her desk. "As a doctor, this is actually outside of my specialty, but as your friend, I will try to help out the best that I can. Nurse Mogie actually knows an extensive amount of information on cases like this and would be more useful person for you to go to should you have any further concerns after today."

Savah started stroking her daughter's hair absently as she brought up her first question. "Will we have to contact the Jedi…about Korrah?"

" _Jedi!"_ Korrah thought in alarm, but remained still. Sure, she had identified the Mon Calamari when she had first seen her, but to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Jedi Order was not something she had been expecting.

Doctor Treeniv hummed the negative. "No. Any and all such inquiries that are corresponded between MedCenters and the Order's Admissions department are filed within the first two weeks after an infant is born, at least on the majority of developed Republican planets. If there are late or follow up inquiries, they are all handled by the division that Mogie helps oversee; and both he and his division would know full well that any inquiry about little Korrah automatically gets run by me first. I haven't had any such follow ups to date. However, in the unlikely case it should happen, I don't intend on giving them an affirmative for an interview without with your full permission, Savah. You don't have to worry about that."

Savah breathed out in relief and relaxed slightly further back in her chair. Devahin spoke up next. "We'd like to know more about Korrah's…condition. What happened yesterday, is it going to be a common occurrence or was this just a one time attack?

Doctor Treeniv nodded towards the male nurse sitting off to her side.

The man leaned forward in a short bow and cleared his throat nervously. "Um, yes well…before I begin I would like to…um, apologize for my rudeness, two years ago. I…was too eager in the face of discovery and I should not have assumed-…I mean I should have had a better grip on my…uh, opinions."

Devahin answered graciously. "No offense was taken."

Mogie breathed a sigh and cleared his throat again. "Yes, well then, um, I'm…sure you're moderately aware of the correlation that is commonly made between the number of midiclorians contained within an organic being's cells and phenomenon of Force-sensitivity?" he paused for confirmation. "Well, I mentioned before the last time we spoke that your daughter does indeed have a high midiclorian count. And it is my theory that your daughter may have experienced an incredibly potent vision brought on by her sensitivity to the Force. She did claim to have seen herself 'die' when she woke up, and although she hasn't said anything about it since then, I don't have many doubts that her claim is true."

"Is there anything that can…stop these visions?" Savah asked.

Mogie shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "There are certain substances that are capable of…suppressing a Force-sensitive's ability to feel what they do, but most, if not all, are illegal for private use or even medical use in the public sector and would honestly be more likely _harm_ your child than help, Mrs. Hyymn." He glanced down at his datapad. "In fact, I would say your daughter's level of Force-sensitivity is too strong for such things to be considered as an option for her safety's sake."

"Are there any other alternatives? Is there nothing else we can do?" Savah stressed. "She will keep having these attacks; these visions?"

Mogie nodded slowly, "I can't say so professionally, but personally I'd say that's the most likely case. The severity of future visions might not be as intense, however, and may decrease as she grows older. But first, there's some additional information you should be aware of that may help you understand." he said.

Devahin reached out and held Savah's free hand in a gesture of reassurance and nodded to the nurse.

Mogie cleared his throat again in preparation. "Midiclorians are…exceedingly fascinating and studies of them had revealed a number of amazing things, such as being able to identify an infant's immunity or vulnerability to specific diseases, although, that's irrelevant to this, um, there is still much that we don't know about them. In regards to the Force-phenomenon, what we do is we take a blood test and estimate a person's potential sensitivity by identifying how many midiclorians reside within one cell and then compare it to a set of averages that's been universally acknowledged for as long as the Republic's been in place." Mogie paused to take another breath, then continued in a more confident, professional tone. "The average count of any given organic being is very static at just under two thousand five hundred _pc_ , that is, 'per cell'. What we would label as 'non-sensitive' is anywhere under four or three thousand per cell and a case of 'mild-sensitivity' could be classified as just over five thousand or up to six thousand."

He paused again with a glance at his audience. "Am I being…uh, clear enough on this?"

Savah nodded at him and he relaxed a bit more. Korrah pitied the poor man just a bit. He was obviously an awkward individual who could easily forget himself around others, yet still cared what they thought about him. Doctor Treeniv motioned for him to continue.

"Okay then, uh, once we reach a seven thousand count per cell and above, that is when we cross into, shall we say, the starting bar where a child is first considered eligible by the Jedi Order as possibly capable of being inducted into their ranks."

Devahin spoke up. "Has there ever been a case when they've taken in someone with less than seven thousand?"

Mogie shrugged and adjusted his glasses. "It's a less common occasion, but there is a distinct preference for those with a well over seven thousand midiclorian count." He said. "Organic beings will oftentimes experience a very small jump in their midiclorians around the time they reach puberty. The average in that jump is no more than a couple hundred, but an increase as high as almost a thousand has been recorded. Granted, there have also been a few who showed no difference or increase at all."

He continued on. "Fully recognized Jedi, of course, have very high midiclorian counts. An average Jedi Knight would have around ten thousand with a smaller number of their Order going a couple thousand above that. In fact, it's estimated that a one digit percentage of Jedi have anything between twelve-thousand five hundred and fifteen thousand, and an even smaller percentage for anyone above that. As it would be easy to guess, the higher a Jedi's midiclorian count, the greater their expected Force-potential."

Despite pretending to be asleep, listening to all of this medical talk was sort of interesting, given that they were talking about something that apparently pertained to her, but Korrah wasn't sure she completely understood just what the nurse was leading up to by divulging all this information. Savah seemed to have realized this as well as she shifted under her in her seat. "We turned down getting an approximate count for Korrah when she was born and... first learned of her eligibility for the Order, so…where would she place in all this?"

Doctor Treeniv picked up a datapad and looked over it at her friend. "You ready?"

Savah and Devahin both nodded.

Treeniv drew in a deep breath. "Twenty-one thousand eight hundred and seventy."

" _What!?"_

"What?!" Savah exclaimed, echoing Korrah's thoughts.

Slightly jostled at her parents surprised, Korrah wriggled slightly to reorient herself into a more comfortable position. She felt Savah tense up for a brief moment only to relax and try to aid her daughter without waking her.

A few seconds of silence passed as Korrah continued her pretense of settling back to sleep before anyone spoke again.

"Are you sure?" Devahin asked quietly, but still noticeably shocked.

Doctor Treeniv nodded empathetically. "I was in the room with Mogie what he ran the test, three separate times. I'll come out and say now that the extra tests were unnecessary. Mogie has never made a mistake when it comes to these tests, but we did so for the sake of due diligence."

Korrah could almost feel a burst of gratitude radiating off the man from the doctor's praise.

Savah had stopped stroking her hair and was now holding her small hand gently, yet tightly as she dared. "So, there's nothing, then. Nothing that can be done to stop this?"

Mogie made an affirmative noise. "Yes, Mrs. Hyymn. I believe that she will continue to experience Force-induced visons and such phenomenon throughout the rest of her life and…if you're serious about refusing to request Jedi aid, then…" he floundered for a few seconds, "…you'll have to be there and support your daughter yourselves. It's not something that's going to go away, but that doesn't mean it's a handicap or that it will negatively affect her future. There are several documented cases of Force-sensitives doing just fine for themselves without being a part of the Jedi Order." he assured. "Also, um, I would be more than willing to offer my services in case anything does happen again."

Devahin inhaled a calming breath and stood up. Savah carefully moved Korrah and lifted her up into her arms to follow him.

"Thank you Mogie, we appreciate it. And thank you Lorrie, for everything. You've given us a lot to think about and we'll be sure to be in contact with you if anything else comes up."

Doctor Treeniv sighed as she stood up for her chair as well. "It's late and you've both have had one long night and day. Don't be strangers, you two alright? Call us if there's anything you need."

Korrah peeked one of her eyes open and watched Devahin shake hands with the Mon Calamari doctor and Mogie stepped forward as they released their hands.

"You have a good night, sir. Before you go, I have here a short file that contains some information that I thought you might find helpful."

Devahin accepted what looked like a flat flashdrive and the two men shook hands as well.

Korrah stayed unresponsive all throughout the surprisingly, smooth ride back to their home where she pretended to 'wake up'.

Devahin went upstairs for bed after kissing Savah and Korrah goodnight. The woman herself was endearingly kind enough to allow her to go to bed without forcing her to eat anything. After getting bathed and dressed in what she assumed to be nightclothes she was led to her room. However, instead of tucking her in immediately, Savah lifted her up into her arms and sat with her in a hovering rocking chair settled into the corner of her room.

Strangely, the motion of being rocked back and forth by this woman she barely knew wasn't as bothersome as she would have thought.

It was an act of comfort, a strange, special moment of unconditional love and gentleness. And in the face of an event like this, even if it was from a stranger, the little girl that was once Laura Tokugawa would take whatever comfort she could get.

* * *

 **A/N: That's all for now; thank you for your patience and support. I am, in all honesty, not very happy with the beginning of this chapter as it goes against the 'show don't tell' form of storytelling that I greatly prefer, but it is impossible for me to focus as much as I might want to on Korrah's childhood as that would take too long and inevitably become tedious.**

 **This is as good of a balance as I could manage with what I wanted to reveal about Korrah and who she was before as well as her reaction to her new circumstances. I'd imagine she's going through some shock right now. I also liked the idea of her 'parents' sitting down with the doctor and discussing what kind of options they'd have when facing the prospect of raising a 'special needs' child like her. You know, like normal, loving parents would do. At least I hope it's believable.**

 **For anyone with questions as to why Korrah's midiclorian count is what it is, I present to you the fact that in this story the Force was _involved_ in her birth, but she was not _conceived_ by the Force; so it's high, but not _that_ high. I also chose the numbers '2-1-8-7' in Korrah's midiclorian count as a small reference to both A New Hope (Leia's cell number is '2187') and to The Force Awakens (Finn's number was 'FN-2187'). Anakin's count will be 27,700. I believe that to be acceptably higher than Korrah's so as not to induce 'Mary Sue' (although you are of course free to hold whatever opinion you want on the matter).  
**

 **There's also a warning that I have to get out of the way, I am only familiar with the Star Wars franchise through the movies; Original and Prequel trilogies only. I am not familiar with any other media, so most of what I include in my story will either be made up or taken from Wookiepedia. If this offends you I apologize, but still hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Thank you so much for your time and support. I hope to see you all with the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3: Assimilate

**A/N: And so it continues...**

 **I'm fully aware of how long it took to write this chapter. Even with all my notes and the outline I used to frame this it was still a bear to get out of my mind and onto paper. I also go sick about half-way through which didn't help to speed the process along at all. But that is now all water under the bridge and I present to you the next chapter in this story. There's less here than I had originally intended, but I had to cut it in half due to length and time. Hopefully, this won't be an issue to the overall narrative.**

 **Thank you to all who have reviewed and/or read this story. It means so much to me! Thanks again to Ducky9002 for 'beta-ing' and may you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Assimilate

 _ **89 BBY…**_

 _Amid the majestic metropolis that spanned across the face of Corusaunt, the Jedi Temple stood tall and proud. It had remained the home of the Republic's protectors for almost a thousand years since the end of the New Sith Wars and remained a wonder to all who gazed upon it. An immovable symbol of peace and knowledge kept safe by the honorable Jedi Order who guarded it dutifully._

 _However, that wonder and peace was not present within the Temple's southwest tower held high over the monolithic building._

 _Jedi Grandmaster Yoda gazed around himself from where he sat in his seat within the Council Chambers. All of the members of the High Jedi Council that were in the Temple had assembled within hours to discuss something they could all sense was of grave importance._

 _Yoda opened the meeting. "Gathered today, we are. Strange disturbance in the Force, we have all felt." He said somberly._

 _The Councilors nodded in agreement._

 _Human Jedi Master Thame Cerulian sat forward and clasped his hands in front of himself pensively. "The recent disturbance was strong enough to be felt throughout the entire Order. The Masters and Senior Knights are keeping the peace as well as they can amongst the younger Knights and Initiates, but they will soon be coming to us for answers. We must give a verdict as soon as possible to keep any panic or wild speculation from arising."_

 _Several other Masters nodded their agreement again to Thame's suggested course of action._

 _He continued in imparting his opinion on the upcoming matter. "The balance within the Force has been affected, that much is clear. However, it's impossible to determine whether the Light or the Dark Side has been affected the most. While I would suggest appropriate caution in discovering the truth, it would be unwise to let uncertainty and fear lead us down the wrong path."_

" _The Dark Side has responded strongly to the disturbance." Master Oppo Rancisis spoke up from the opposite side of the Chamber. "We cannot assume that the darkness has not had a hand in whatever caused this nor can we afford to sit idly by as the perversion grows stronger. While reassuring the Order is our current priority, whatever is at the bottom of this must be found and dealt with as swift as possible." He strongly finished._

" _I laud your resolve to take action, Master Rancisis, but I am less inclined to believe that the Dark Side is at work here." Master Yarael Poof proposed in counter to his comrade's assumption. "In spite of its recent activity, the Dark Side's strength has not grown at all. It is certainly strange, but the disquiet within the Force has not exempted neither the Light nor the Dark on this occasion."_

 _Thame nodded in agreement. "Master Poof is correct. The Light remains bright and strong as before and though it may be bizarre, the Dark Side is just as agitated by this disturbance as the Light."_

 _There were mutterings of confusion among the Councilors, but no one openly disputed Master Poof's or Master Cerulian's controversial statements. They could all feel it through their connection to the Force._

 _Since the initial wave brought on by the unknown disturbance, the tremors in the Force had died down to ripples, but had not yet ceased entirely. There was an urgency; a call that they felt from within themselves by the Force that had led to them gathering together here._

 _What was perhaps the strangest experience of all, even with their combined understanding of the Force, was when they had felt the Dark Side churning in tandem with the Light. The oppression they had felt at the sudden presence of the Dark Side had soon given way to shock and confusion at the uncharacteristic restlessness that the Dark Side had emitted rather than the defining sentiments of anger and fear._

 _Whatever had happened had influenced both the Light and the Dark in an unprecedented way and none of them could give an explanation how or why._

 _A sigh broke over the individual conversations and speculations of the gathered Jedi. "Whether in origin of the Light or the Dark, of grave importance I believe it to be. By the Force itself called to our attention, this was. Listen closely we must." Councilor Yaddle intoned._

 _The Council went quieted as they digested Master Yaddle's words. The truth of her observation calmed them, but unanswered questions still lingered around all of their minds. What caused the disturbance? What was within the Force's will to be done about it? And if it was of Dark Side origin, could they face the return of that kind of destruction that the Dark Side was capable of?_

 _Tor Difusal heaved a fretful sigh. "But what could that be? If the Force is warning us of something that has happened, surely we should be more concerned with discovering what it is?" he argued._

" _Of that, I may provide some clarity." Master Yoda spoke up for the first time since opening the meeting._

 _Thame and several others sat up straight at Yoda's words. "You mean to say that you have gained more insight on this disturbance, Master Yoda?"_

 _Yoda nodded his head towards the Corellian Jedi Master._

" _Yes. At the time of the disturbance, a vision I received from the Force."_

 _The entire Council went silent and turned their full attention to the diminutive Jedi Master._

" _While meditating, experience the disturbance I did. Surrounded with the Force I was and with a vision came." He began. "A vast display of stars, I saw. And among them, a new spark of life I felt; bright, vibrant and young; a new star it was. Brighter it grew until like an older star it was to my senses yet still brighter than all other stars it was." He said._

" _Appeared another star did next to it; even brighter. Then all around, a cold darkness gathered and lingered. Reached for the stars around them it did, consuming them, till remained only the two stars. Continued to reach the brightest star the darkness tried, but died the star did and with it the darkness. Left behind the first star remained; dimmer, slowly dying. Three smaller stars appeared. Dim as well they were, but steady light they gave until appeared among them two new stars. Small they were, yet brighter than all the others before them, they shined. Illuminated the galaxy and around them new stars were born until again the galaxy was filled light."_

 _Several of the Councilors looked from side to side at each other, but no one spoke of what the vision could mean. There was an undercurrent of foreboding that came from Yoda's description of his vision, but none of them knew how to decipher it. One thing they were sure of was that dark days were ahead for the galaxy, the Republic and their Order. Something big was coming._

 _Yoda carried on with his account. "Hm, finished the vision did with the cry of a youngling. Sensed its presence I did and strong in the Force it was, yes, a deeper connection before I have not felt. Greater even than my own." Startled looks broke out over the faces of the Jedi and hushed whispers stirred within the Chambers again at this revelation. A Force-connection stronger than Yoda's!_

 _Yoda's ears drooped as he rubbed his chin and sighed deeply, recalling the sensation that had finished the vision. "A great sorrow the presence held. Very deep it was. Cause for its pain, know I do not. And yet amid the sorrow, still hope there was."_

 _As he ended his recounting of what he had seen, discussions began between the Jedi over Master Yoda's vision and though many interpretations were given no consensus could be reached until conversation was stalled as Master Cerulian spoke up over the din to address Master Yoda._

" _Could it be possible that, given this disturbance and the unnatural behavior of the Force, that we have been sent the Force's means to…announce the arrival of the Chosen One?" he said, slightly disbelieving, but with a tentative ghost of hope._

 _Several arguments and opinions immediately broke out between the twelve Masters in response to this voiced speculation._

" _The Chosen One…"_

"… _from the prophecy…"_

"…– _to bring about balance at last…"_

"… _preposterous in thinking that…"_

 _The dissention was brought back to order by Yoda slamming his gimmer stick down sharply against the floor._

 _The Jedi Grandmaster waited until all of their attention was directed at him. "Come into being something of great importance has, this I believe." He said. "Know whom, what, or where it may be, I do not. Yet trust in the Force I do that in time all will be revealed."_

 _The arguments soon died down with Master Yoda's verdict and the topic was changed to what statement would be passed on by the Council to the rest of the Order in regards to the previous disturbance. When the meeting was adjourned and the Jedi Masters dispersing to their other duties, Yoda hung back from the rest and turned his gaze out through the tall windows overlooking the great city-planet._

 _He stood there as he felt a foreign emotion settle in his chest; one he recognized as fear. Fear of what, he could only guess, but as he had for centuries Yoda let go of his anxiety into the Force and took solace in its warm presence._

– _ **Seek–**_ _it whispered,_ _ **–Protect–**_ _._

 _He was struck by how urgently the Force intoned its charge to him, but he was a servant to the will of the Force. He would follow where it led him._

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

 _Far across the galaxy on another planet, Darth Tenebrous, Dark Lord of the Sith, meditated alone._

 _He was focused on something that had come to his attention just several hours earlier. There was a strange and unfamiliar tension in the Force playing at the very edge of his senses; barely there, like the weight of an insect standing on the surface of water. There was something peculiar about the shift. It was too exiguous and mercurial to clearly discern what was causing it, but the Force had become silent in a way he had not encountered before. It resisted his call, pulling away from him and seemingly directing itself towards something beyond itself that he couldn't see._

 _The Bith kept still and maintained his connection with the Dark energy that swirled around him, pulling more to himself and sinking deeper into the depths as he tried to decipher what this irregularity meant._

 _Then the tension suddenly snapped and the Force shuddered and convulsed as if in pain; churning the ambient energy into a nebulous riptide and quickly overloaded his senses. Darth Tenebrous pulled back his consciousness and braced himself, keeping his concentration steady against the tides of the Force. The disturbance finally passed and Darth Tenebrous tried to make sense of what had just happened, but his vast intellect was only met with bewilderment. He harked back to when he had felt his former Master successfully open a rift in the Force years ago. The Twi'lek fool had revealed the presence of the Dark Side to the galaxy for the first time in centuries, but that rift had been passive and closed over a relatively short time. This tumultuous state of the Force did not feel the same._

 _Now that the disturbance had passed the Dark Side was obviously unsettled by_ _ **something**_ _and writhing about in a furious manner. Darth Tenebrous reaffirmed his concentration and griped the Force firmly, commanding it to bend to his power and give him clarity as to what was happening._

 _To his surprise, it willingly complied. Immediately the Dark Side rapidly closed in all around him, saturating his being and he once again felt a long-forgotten sensation come over his mind._

 _He had not had a vision in many years. The loss of his premonition abilities was the price he'd had to pay for his success in evolving his midiclorians into the maxiclorians that would carry on his consciousness after his physical body died._

 _The vision was dim and the few images he received were barely perceivable. He was only able to comprehend a short glimpse of a tiny speck of life that had come into being on a planet far from the one he was currently on. The bright spark was accompanied by a fleeting sensation of the being's presence in the Force; young and bright with life, yet oddly mature and it pulsed strongly. It obviously held a deep and powerful connection to the Force._

 _Then the vision was gone from Darth Tenebrous mind, but not from his memory. He was delighted with this revelation! It was a sign from the Force itself. To have a vision alerting him, a Lord of the Sith, to the presence of a being that had just come into existence could only mean one thing: that the Chosen One had been born!_

 _Darth Tenebrous was very pleased by this, but now that the premonition had passed he had no way of determining where to locate the newborn sentient being or even what species it might be. The Dark Side had returned to its natural state and carried within it the desire – the_ _ **need**_ _– to find and claim this life form._

 _He might not be able to find the Chosen One in time to possess its body and execute his plans, but that would be no matter. Plans can and would be altered if he needed them to be in order to succeed in reaching his ultimate goal._

 _He arose from his meditation chambers and exited through the dim hallways of his secluded abode. "I will find the Chosen One." He swore. "And I will destroy the Jedi. I will be their long-awaited savior, who will poison them from the inside and bring about their doom. And without their Order standing in my path, the Republic; the entire Galaxy will be brought under the rightful rule of the Sith!" Everything would soon be within his grasp._

 _His apprentice would have some work ahead of him in locating the Chosen One, but it would be done. He would not accept failure on this venture. Time was of the essence and this discovery could not be put aside._

* * *

 **Years later; 87 BBY…**

Korrah sighed heavily and stared at the page before her.

" _This is taking too long._ " She silently mused.

It was beautiful spring day outside and yet the 'three-years-and-ten-months-year-old' was spending it inside at the local daycare while the other half a dozen other children in attendance were playing or running around the outdoor yard; leaving her alone in the colorfully decorated classroom.

One of the three caretakers, an elderly woman with shiny silver hair braided over her head, came in from supervising the children's activity and spied her by herself. With an exasperated sigh, she knelt down by Korrah's side.

"Korrah, dear, I said you could continue practicing your letters later. You should go outside and play with the other children. It's important that you know how to interact with the rest of the community." She said, not unkindly, but with a trite admonishment that was dulled by the undercurrent fondness in her tone.

Korrah reached over to the side and selected a different colored…space-crayon or whatever they were actually called and began adjusting her grip on it, continuing to write using the letters of the 'Aurebesh' alphabet.

"But Gran-Marrine, the intricacies of Chandrila's ecosystem, environment and the importance of keeping the balance amid our daily lives is something I already understand. We do it every day with feeding the class fish or going to the Gladean State Parks. _Eff_ , I probably understand it more than my peers will within the next ten years." She bravely rolled her eyes in the face of Marrine's disapproving look at her attitude and utterance of what she knew to be a 'made-up' cuss word. "The fact remains, that for all my understanding, I can still barely read." Korrah stated fervently, hoping that the older woman would leave her to her work.

That didn't seem to be the case as Marrine placed a wrinkled hand firmly over the younger girl's. "You're pushing yourself too hard, Korrah. You need to cast your focus on other things besides academics. There will be plenty of time for you to learn how to read other than right now. You're devotion to studying is good, but it's distancing you from the other children. It's also making you mother worry. You won't lose your knowledge if you set this aside for later, you know." Marrine pined the little girl with her sharp, knowing eyes. "You're very smart, Korrah, but you need to start actually making an effort to be friends with the others."

Korrah's spirit quailed a bit. Of course, since the woman had all but raised Savah as her own daughter she'd take her side and pull out the 'your mother's worried' card, but Korrah didn't let the caretaker see how effective her reasoning was.

"My penmanship looks like it was done by a drunk squall." She deadpanned. Looking down at the sight of the offensive, lopsided and bulky 'letters' Korrah could hear her pride scream.

" _If I wasn't literally a child right now I'd probably look like I'm recovering from a stroke or a serious car accident."_ She thought with a tinge of bitter irony.

Marrine scoffed. "All the more reason to leave it for another time. You're too serious about things when you focus on them for too long. You really need acting a little more your age." She assured.

"But it's a song. For Mama's birthday, so it can't wait." Korrah appealed, widening her eyes innocently. Marrine looked like she didn't believe her at first until she scanned the page and read the first few lines.

She took back her hand, but looked at her sternly. "Alright, but as soon as it's finished you will come outside and join everyone else, okay?"

Korrah nodded dutifully as the old caretaker stood up. She didn't know how to impress on the other woman why she couldn't act her age. Mind-numbing as the repetition was she had finally developed her fine-motor skills to an acceptable level, but her grasp of literacy was only intermediate at best. She couldn't just stop now.

Korrah knew if she was going to survive in this new 'life' then the first thing she needed to do was know how to read because gaining any further knowledge would only come after that was achieved. God only knew how much she _needed_ to be able to reach for something beyond her freaking children's books without having to depend on Devahin reading them out loud!

" _And if I have to sit through having that insipid 'What's That Animal?' book at story time just once more, I'm going to smash it into a million pieces!"_ she vowed and griped her crayon tighter.

Marrien seemed to sense her mutinous attitude, but was distracted when several screaming children came running in through the door. Marrine's attention was immediately diverted towards scolding them for running in the building and they veered around her, chasing each other by the short table where Korrah had sequestered herself, jolting it as one of them accidentally bumped into one of its sides. Marrine hurried after them as they carried on through the other door back outside without a look in her direction while Korrah quickly reached out to stop her crayons from rolling off the tabletop. She sighed again.

" _Might as well go along with it this time."_ she relented.

It wasn't entirely her fault none of the other children at the daycare cared to interact with her and at the moment that was more of a relief than an issue for her. She was under no obligation – or motivation – to pretend to be at their level of development. In the year since she'd regained her 'consciousness' she had adapted quite well in her opinion, but the feeling of displacement still lingered and there was just no way for her to totally hide that she was different. The other children could tell too, although they didn't understand why. They kept Korrah at arms-length just as much as she kept them at arms-length.

Korrah grit her teeth, irritated, as several other children ran into the classroom, dashing right past her again with one girl almost falling over the table and spilling her papers onto the floor.

The loud and animated atmosphere of the daycare had quickly lost its appeal as she found herself surrounded by other midgets rampaging around and generally being brats.

Korrah had been a mother and teacher for over ten years in her last life, so she knew how to deal with kids, but problem was that she wasn't either of those things anymore; she had no respect or authority over anyone. Instead, she was relegated back into the ranks of little children that were barely out of their toddler years and literal _decades_ behind her in any stretch of maturity and understanding. What was worse, all of the caretakers except for Marrine, expected her to acts _just like_ them.

Boredom had set in within ten minutes of her first day just five months ago and now she was almost ready to cry tears of blood as she tore her hair out in frustration.

Or maybe just shout every curse word she knew – in every language she knew – to the sky at whatever higher powers that had put her in this damnable situation in the first place!

"Who or whatever is responsible for this are diabolical bastards!" she snarled softly to herself. "And it's not like they can smite or curse me for saying that after sending me to hell!" she glanced around. "Albeit a very creative, colorful form of hell."

Korrah sat back and reigned in her sour mood, gathering her papers – called _flimsi's_ for some reason – and returned to writing. She was trying to remember the lyrics for a song she recalled as 'Somebody's Hero'. It had been a favorite of her mother's – of _Laura's_ mother, _Naomi Sunner–_ and Korrah remembered her past-self singing it at the celebration of Naomi's fiftieth birthday. The excuse she'd made about Savah's birthday coming up hadn't been a lie and Korrah could admit Savah was a good mother; rather doting if a bit overprotective, so she felt compelled to do something meaningful for the woman. Some of the words didn't fit as they had in her last life so she was working on a new draft that her mother would understand and planned to present it to her that night.

Besides, indulging a little in the happy family environment she'd thankfully landed in helped break up the monotony of life now that the initial shock of her bizzare 'survival' was gone. Korrah couldn't always ignore a growing need within her to get out and do something in her new existence, but sadly there's not much she could do as an almost-four-year-old. She was afraid she'd someday end up lashing out at reality as she entered the 'anger' stage of grief.

Losing an identity like she had wasn't something a person could get over in just a year.

" _And I certainly don't want to hurt someone without meaning to."_ she admitted grimly.

The Aurebesh letters were still giving her some trouble, but she finished her personal project within several minutes and stood up to put it in her personal bag.

As she did, she was struck by a sudden idea and Korrah peered around the room to make sure she wouldn't be spotted before she scurried over to the bookcase on the opposite wall that held all of the class's databooks for story time.

Selecting one, she looked down and glared at the offending picture book.

 **What's that Animal?**

Korrah looked around one more time, took a deep breath and calmly focused on the ambient presence that she felt brushing up against the back of her mind.

Ever since she'd overheard the conversation between her parents and Doctor Treeniv, she'd been trying to experiment with her supposed Force-sensitivity in secret, but all her attempts had been met with failure.

Until just several months ago while she'd been eating dinner and had figured out a small and simple trick almost a year after her reawakening into this situation.

It had been the shock of her life when she had successfully gotten her spoon to float for only two seconds before her concentration broke and it dropped back to the table. A classic 'empty your cup' moment and she realized she would have to essentially unlearn everything she thought she knew about 'the Force'. It was rather humbling to experience.

Breathing deeply and focusing on being calm, she started repeating a steady mantra in her mind.

" _There is no spoon."_

That had become the basis of her connection with this alien 'Force'.

" _Do not lift the spoon, but realize the truth, that there is no spoon. It is not the spoon that bends, but yourself."_ Korrah's lips quirked up. _"Just like when Yoda said, 'Luminous being we are, not this gross matter.' I'm not the one lifting the datapad. The Force is lifting the datapad."_

Maintaining this mindset she watched in numb fascination as the felt the Force's presence flow through her body and wrap around the datapad. It floated shakily as if it would drop any second as she guided it upwards from her hands and slid it onto the top of the bookcase.

Korrah let out a deep breath and released her hold on the Force. Her hands were trembling slightly and she let out a shaky laugh. No matter how many times she managed to touch the swirling ocean of energy, it was still overwhelming and new to her.

Taking a step back, she admired her handiwork. The bookcase was two meters tall and almost touched the ceiling. No one would be looking there anytime soon.

She grinned smugly and turned to walk outside and join the rest of the class.

" _There. I've fulfilled my obligation of acting my age."_ She thought satisfied.

* * *

Korrah was in the process of teaching another three-year-old girl named Lonna how to climb one of the trees in the daycare yard when Savah arrived to take her home. Jumping out of the lower branches at the call of her name, she ran over to the woman with short blonde hair clothed in a green dress and hugged her legs, tucking away the odd feeling of only reaching her waist.

" _God, I can't wait to grow up and be tall again!"_ she thought. _"If I don't make it over 5'9_ _at least_ _I'll definitely develop some kind of complex in the future."_

She turned her focus back to Savah and looked up expectantly. "Are we going somewhere special today, Mama?" she asked.

Savah smiled down sweetly at her and picked out several leaves from her messed up hair. Kneeling down she pulled apart the intricate 'French' braid and began to plait it back into order. "What makes you say that Korrah?"

The little girl grinned knowingly at her. "It's your birthday today, Mama. We have to celebrate!"

Her childish address of Savah was the only way that she could acknowledge the older woman's maternal relation without compromising the precious memories of her first mother. It had always been 'Mommy' or in later years 'Mom' before, so the title prevented any confusion or guilt.

Plus, she could sense Savah's happy emotions at being addressed as such. There was no reason to deprive her of the small joy.

Her mother laughed and finished retying her braid securely. "You remembered! Well, as a matter of fact, we're going over to Auntie Tylie's tonight for dinner. Now, go grab your pack."

"Yes, Mama."

The two of them said their goodbyes to the caretakers and Marrine assured Savah that she would be joining them that night at the dinner Tylie was hosting. They climbed into the speeder and began the short commute back home.

"Papa's still away at work, so sadly he won't be Auntie Tylie's with us." Savah informed her sadly and sighed. She steered the vehicle at a moderate pace and glanced over at her daughter. "He called earlier today while you were still at Daycare. He said he's very sad that that he's stuck away from home, but apparently your uncle Sommer managed to get himself involved in a really tough job this time." The blonde woman huffed, shaking her head and started muttering to herself. "Honestly, agreeing to set up peace talks was already a stretch outside of his area of expertise, but then having calling Devahin out of the blue and asking him to come in and help is just more than a little inconvenient. He should've known better."

Korrah nodded. "Papa mentioned it in his call last week. He had to stay because Uncle Sommer's getting to work for a very popular legislator this time; the red-headed man we see on the holonet named Moric Mothma. He likes Papa and it's not really Uncle Sommer's fault his friend Griffen's wife just had a baby and couldn't help. Papa said he's really sorry for not being here because of work, so he told me to make it extra special."

"Oh did he now?" Savah asked good-naturedly and raised an eyebrow in Korrah's direction.

Their speeder came to a gentle stop in front of their home and Korrah climbed over to get closer, cupping her hand to whisper in Savah's ear. "He said that his present for you is in the back of his closet and that I should keep it a secret until tonight and give it to you…but I can't reach it. It's on the top self." She admitted embarrassed.

Savah laughed and helped her out of the vehicle, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "That's alright, Korrah, we'll get it down later. Grab your pack and go to your room to get ready. We'll be leaving for Auntie Tylie's in a few hours so be sure to finish your classwork."

Korrah answered affirmatively, immediately entering the front door raced up to her room. She got out a change of clothes and left them on the made up bed to put on later. Once she had prepared that, she went back downstairs to the small room that served as the family library. She sat down over a small desk and chair and pulled out her personal datapad (that Uncle Sommer had gotten her several months ago) and began her studies of Aurebesh again.

Her parents had managed to get her placed into an advanced curriculum so her caretakers would assign her more classwork at the end of the day than her peers even though she was only almost-four. Thankfully it wasn't terribly easy. Learning about the in depth history and government of her new home planet Chandrila was fascinating and new to Korrah. She wasn't really a genius, but when compared to her age mates her teachers they of course believed her to be a prodigy. Korrah was grateful that she was getting work advanced enough for her brain not to fall asleep over and figured a reputation of 'advanced' intelligence would only help her in the long run, especially on this world.

Devahin was immensely proud of her and encouraged her studies whenever he could. Savah had been the one to insist that she still be enrolled into Daycare because she hadn't wanted her daughter to not learn how to socialize or grow up without friends.

Korrah had almost finished her assigned classwork within twenty minutes when Savah came in with a small tray of sweet flavored wafers and – Korrah could never truly bring herself to get over this – a glass of _blue_ milk to drink.

"Thank you, Mama." She said and munched on one of the wafers as she finished her last short essay question.

Savah sat down next to her as she washed down the snack with the last of the milk and looked over her work. "You know, Marrine told me you were staying behind in the classroom again instead of playing with the other children. Is there anything wrong or something that you can tell me about it? Are any of the children picking on you?"

Korrah shook her head. "No, Mama, I was just working on your birthday present. I went outside with the others when it was done. And none of them are mean to me at all. Lonna likes to climb trees like me and there's Dunkan, the one boy with the black hair, who likes the pictures that I draw and tries to copy them but can't. They're nice and I like them, but they're also different from me. I know it and they know it; they're just…" she paused as she desperately searched for the right word, "…young." She said, lost for a better answer.

Savah's face morphed into a sad smile as she placed her arms gently around Korrah's shoulders. "Korrah, _you're_ young," She told her softly. "You're also very intelligent and…very special. Your father and I just want to be sure that you're safe and happy and sometimes we worry that you set yourself apart from the other children because you don't try."

"They don't have dreams; not like I do. The ones that mean things, even though I don't know what they mean. And they can't sense the feelings of the fish or birds or tell when Murdle will have a seizure before she does." Korrah said morosely. "The caretakers look at me funny ever since I told them to help her before she fell down and I can't explain to them how I knew she was going to have an attack. They try, especially Gran-Marrine, but they don't understand."

The blonde woman encircled her in her arms completely. "They may not understand, but that doesn't mean they won't accept you. If you don't try to know them then they'll never have the chance to know you either."

Savah held her so lovingly. It was such a bittersweet duplicate to _Naomi's_ unconditional love – and the love _she'd_ felt for her sons; for _her boys_ – that Korrah accepted it without thinking; her body going slack and compliant. Acting like a real child came surprisingly natural like this.

"Don't to grow up too fast, Korrah. Just remember, your father and me, we're always here to help you when you need someone." Savah assured her, stroking her hair.

The little girl leaned into the hug to hide her face. She felt like crying. _"I'm so sorry, Savah, that I can't tell you the truth and for taking full advantage of your kindness. But for what it's worth, from one mother to another, any child would be blessed to have you."_

Savah pulled back and took her hand to pull her up. "Now, since all your classwork's done, you and I have some baking to do. We're going to be providing some refreshments for Auntie Tylie's party alright?"

"But it's your birthday, Mama. Why are you cooking?" Korrah asked.

Savah lifted her chin imperiously. "You're right. It's my party, so I can bake whatever I want. We'll be sure that there'll be all my favorites there. Are you going to help?"

Korrah smiled and nodded as the two of them left the library and walked into the kitchen where they spent the next few hours together preparing Savah's favorite foods for later that evening.

After they had finished Savah sent Korrah upstairs to bathe and get dressed. They later arrived at the home of Savah's friend as more guests were coming in just behind them and were welcomed warmly.

It was a wonderful evening for everyone in attendance. The gathering was small, with good food, company and congratulations offered to the honored guest that night. Gifts were given and accepted, most notable among them were the hidden present that had been procure from Devahin's closet – a string of lovely glow-pearls with a small, modest clasp made of aurodium – and Korrah's, who performed her song for her mother in front of the guests and moved several of the mothers who had attended to tears, including Savah. She finished with a hug as the audience clapped around them and Korrah hid behind her mother who accepted their compliments on Korrah's behalf about her excellent voice.

The arrival of late night signaled the slow dispersion of the party goers with Savah and her daughter being among the last to leave. Korrah stayed up long enough to bathe and speak briefly to her father who had holo-called to give his late birthday wishes to his wife. Savah remained downstairs to talk with him as Korrah bid goodnight and went upstairs to bed, falling asleep before her head hit the pillow, happy and content.

* * *

 _She could immediately tell it was one of_ _ **those**_ _dreams...again._

 _Korrah found herself stranded in a dark plain surrounded by a gray fog. There was a distinctive alertness to her consciousness that was lacking from normal sleep that alerted her to her surroundings. Korrah looked all around herself and saw nothing. No features disturbed an endless horizon of gray. She hummed thoughtfully to herself. Nothing felt wrong or out of place, but there was the urge to move present within her. She felt like she was going somewhere, but had forgotten where it was._

 _Taking a breath, she began putting one foot in front of the other, strolling forward. She wasn't in a hurry and this was just a dream. She'd wake up soon._

 _Korrah had not been walking long when she caught sight of a small figure shuffling around in front of her through a slight clearing in the fog, walking back and forth. Curious and not sensing any danger she quietly walked closer to it until she was able to make out several defining characteristics of the small form and stopped in surprise._

 _It was a very short alien, hunched over and walked with the aid of a cane and she could now see two long pointed ears that were a bit over-sized in comparison to the creature's head with gray hair covering it. Korrah felt an excitement come over her._

" _Wait…I know who that is. That's Master Yoda!" She thought. She stood still where she was and watched the little alien, fascinated._

 _He continued to walk about slowly on his short legs and was still peering intently through the fog._

" _Are you looking for something?" Korrah jumped a bit at the sound of her own voice. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but what had surprised her more was that she sounded older than her three-almost-four-year-old self; much closer to her real age. However, Yoda appeared to have already heard her and stopped his search, turning around until he faced her._

" _Looking I am. Found someone I have it seems, hm?" he addressed her politely.  
_

 _Korrah smiled. He really did speak in that oddly endearing, backwards way. "I'm the one who found you, though. Are you lost?"_

 _Yoda huffed. "Hmph. Lost, you say. No, lost I am not. Travel I do following the will of the Force."_

" _You're Master Yoda. A Jedi." Korrah claimed._

 _The Jedi tilted his head curiously at her knowledge of his name before he laughed. "Oh. Know my name you do, and yet call me Lost."_

" _Well, that's just silly." She thought, then for kicks and giggles recited a short rhyme she remembered from her life before._

" _All that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost."_

 _Yoda chuckled again and looked up at her face. "A skilled poet you are. If Yoda I am, what name have you?" he asked._

" _I'm-" she stopped. Did she introduce herself as Korrah or her former self? If this was not a dream but a vision, would Yoda be able to find her? Did she want to be found? "…I'm…lost." She said slowly and looked around herself. Still nothing but gray horizons and sky._

 _The small Jedi Master's ears dropped a bit. "Lost you are? A sad and lonely thing to be that is."_

" _I'm not lonely. I mean, I'm not alone." She assured him. "Everyone at home loves me and cares for me. I'm very happy." She paused. "And you're here too."_

 _Yoda nodded. "So I am. But looking for something I am. For what reason are you here, hm?"_

 _Korrah thought about it. "I think I'm looking for something." She frowned. "Or, no, actually that's not it. When I got here I didn't feel like finding anything, I just felt like moving; going somewhere."_

" _And here you came, not knowing to where you go and here I am looking, for what I know not. Find each other now we have." Yoda replied._

 _Korrah didn't know what to say to that and they stared silently at each other for a few moments. Yoda's gazed revealed that he seemed to be contemplating something, as if several steps away from answering an interesting riddle. "So, if this is that kind of dream, does this mean we are going to meet? In the real world?" Korrah asked._

 _Yoda sighed as stroked his chin. "In strange ways the Force works. Meet again we may. Soon or many years from now, know I do not. Always in motion the future is." He placed both his hands over the top of his cane. "Follow the path the Force lays before me I do. Perhaps met we will if the same path you follow."_

" _Follow the Force." Korrah repeated. It sounded odd for her to say it out loud._

 _Yoda nodded and looked up at her. "Lead you it will."_

 _The fog suddenly swirled up around them before either could say any more and the Jedi Master was taken from her sight._

" _Wait, Yoda!" Korrah rushed forward and searched through the fog, but found nothing._

 _Light flooded her vision from out of nowhere and when she blinked her eyes she found herself no longer standing in the nondescript gray plain but inside a beautiful building. And it was huge! Bigger than any building she'd ever seen in this life or the one before._

 _Several blurry figures walked ghostly by her as a small group of children ran around a corner ahead of her laughing, all of them and ignorant of her presence. Korrah couldn't make out any of the faces or defining features as they passed, but two of the murky child-like figures stopped briefly to look in her direction before they continued after the others._

 _The scene shifted again, going dark before opening into an unfamiliar hallway. Shouts and sounds of fighting came from just out of sight and Korrah cautiously jogged forward to see what it was. A sharp stab of heat and pain blasted across her senses causing her to stumble to a stop and she recognized Uncle Sommer's voice cry out in agony with it._

 _Scared for her family member she righted herself and ran faster towards where she could sense him, almost tripping when another flash of pain lanced across her mind. Fear and panic rose within her when Devahin's voice followed._

 _Korrah finally saw her Uncle leaning heavily against the wall just ahead of her. She breathed in to call out to him but it died in her throat when she saw Devahin further down the hallway struggling with a dark figure only to fall with a bright red flare and another choked cry of pain. Horror filled Korrah's mind as Devahin lay unnaturally still and she saw that with no one to stop him, the figure raised his weapon and aimed it at Sommer's unprotected back. There was no way for him to see or dodge the incoming shot and Korrah threw herself forward, screaming in alarm to warn him!-_

 _-_ "Korrah! Korrah, wake up! Wake up! It's just a dream, calm down!"

She gasped and her eyes flew open. Savah's face was hovering over hers obviously worried. Korrah grabbed her mother's arm.

"Papa! It's Papa and Uncle Sommer! They're in trouble!"

Savah shushed her and reached around to rub her back in gentle circles, wiping her eyes and trying to soothe her. "Korrah calm down. Your father's okay, he called me just after you went to bed to wish me a happy birthday." She hesitated, uncertain if she wanted to ask. "What…what did you see in your- dream?"

Korrah took a deep breath to bring her emotions back under control. Once she was steady she told Savah about what she had seen. She didn't go into the details of her conversation with Yoda or even mention him by name, but when she reached the part of Devahin and Sommer being attacked by a dark figure Savah's face grew concerned even though she could tell her mother was trying to convince herself to the contrary. However, she held her shoulder comfortingly. "I'll call them in the morning and let them know about what you saw, does that sound alright?" Korrah nodded. "Then try not to dwell on it and go back to sleep. It could be nothing, you know."

Korrah calmed down, but the bad feeling didn't go away. "Tell them to be careful. Please, it just might not have happened yet and they could still get hurt!"

Savah stroked her hair in a calming manner. "I will, don't worry. It might only have been just a bad dream, Korrah. Don't make yourself sick over it. Relax." She nodded assuring her. "I'll stay here until you fall back asleep, okay?"

Without any way to argue, Korrah nodded lay back onto her pillows as Savah fretted over her. It wasn't the first time she'd had a dream like this – she hesitated to call them _visions_ ; it just made it sound so…supernatural – and she felt unsettled in a way she hadn't before; like the calm before the storm. Her eyes grew heavy and closed as Savah hummed a Chandrilan lullaby as dreamless sleep soon rose up to claim her mind.

* * *

The next day started normally aside from some residual tiredness from the night before. Savah holo-called Devahin that morning to inform him of what had happened and seeing him okay gave Korrah some relief and assurance that her dream might not come to pass after he promised to be careful. Her mother dropped her off at Daycare and went to complete some errands while Korrah mingled halfheartedly with the other children.

It was only half way through the day when Marrine interrupted the caretaker during story time to call Korrah away from the other children. When she came over, she saw Savah was standing beside the older woman just outside the door. The blonde woman's face was pale and there was a tightly wound tension to her frame as she whispered stiffly to Marrine.

Korrah grabbed Savah's hand. "Mama, what's going on? Why are you here early?"

Savah didn't answer her. After a few short words with Marrine, the two of them were in speeder and leaving the Daycare.

They didn't go home. Savah drove faster than Korrah could ever remember her daring to go until they arrived at the Community Station and parked the speeder, handing the key over to a valet as Korrah looked around her confused.

She had been to the Community Station a few times with the Daycare chaperones when they took class trips to places like the Gladean Parks or Chandrila's Crystal Caves, so she immediately knew they were going somewhere too far to travel by speeder. Her bad feeling from the night before returned and weight heavily in her chest as her mother took two bags out of the speeder before leading her way to the platforms.

"Here Korrah, take your bag and don't let go of my hand."

Korrah cursed her short legs as they walked quickly, but she kept up clutching Savah's hand. "Mama, what's wrong? Where are we going?"

Savah's face was tight as she pressed her lips into a thin line. Korrah had never seen her mother this worried before.

"Something happened at the Chandrilan House and we're going to see your father and uncle. He's- they're alright, but they're hurt. Don't worry about it too much we'll see him soon, okay?"

Korrah had no idea what was going on and for all Savah said not to worry she could read between the lines. Between her dream from last night to Devahin's involvement with the peace talks and Savah's erratic behavior now one thing was perfectly clear.

Something terribly bad _had_ happened to Devahin and Uncle Sommer!

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading _Anomaly_ thus far and for all the reviews I've gotten. Things will start to pick up in the next chapter with a little bit of action and we'll be seeing more of Master Yoda as he plays his part in this adventure.  
**

 **As we can see, the forces of the Dark Side are not being left out of the picture and while they will play a part in the overall story, their purpose will be understated until needed.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this and can hardly wait to see you in the next one! Thank you once again.**


	5. Chapter 4: Encounter

**A/N: Thank you all so much for you patience and reviews. Here we will gain a bit of an insight into how things are happening on Devahin's side of the story, which is setting up for Korrah's very near future. It may not be obvious, but all will be revealed in future chapters because as I stated earlier that this would be a slow and deliberate kind of story, so thank you for staying with me for this long.**

 **I would like to give a special thank you to OldWorldVulture for their review; your words were so uplifting and encouraging. I'm very grateful!  
**

 **As I was writing this, I was surprised to find that I would have to cut this chapter in half again due to length and time. Hopefully, I'll be able to have the next bit ready for updating two more weeks from now. Thank you everyone once again for your time and please enjoy the story!  
**

* * *

Chapter 4: Encounter

 **Chandrilan House…**

It was early morning when Devahin said goodbye to his wife and daughter, heaving a deep sigh after he terminated the transmission. He felt like the Chandrilan sky was falling on him and all he could do was stare up and wait for impact.

He'd been balancing the stress of the past three days between the meetings, speech draft rewrites and minimal sleep just fine, if barely. But now the precarious balance was beginning to tip towards exhaustion he'd been denying with this little addition now haunting his brain.

He really didn't know what to make of what this. As smart as he was, Korrah's dreams were always too confounding and foreign for him to make any sense of them. Things like seeing into the future made him very uncomfortable; they forced him to question his understanding of how the galaxy really worked. Maybe if he'd been born 'Force-sensitive' he could've helped or at least known what to do, but he wasn't and that fed into the weight on his shoulders.

When Savah has started their conversation with revealing that their daughter had woken up screaming the previous night from a nightmare, of course he'd been concerned. But then it had gotten worse as she went on to say it had potentially been another one of her 'visions', one in which his little girl had witnessed _his own death_ (alongside possibly his brother's). Whatever details her vision contained had apparently been so disturbing that she hadn't stopped asking for him until Savah agreed to call make sure they were really okay.

Granted, nothing close to what Korrah had told him about her…dream had happened and he desperately wanted to believe it had just been a nightmare, but he still couldn't bring himself to give in to the temptation and dismiss his daughter's concerns just yet.

He sat down heavily in a nearby chair and put his head in his hands staring at the floor. " _Chandra_ , I'm so tired." He moaned.

Excuses floated up into his brain only to evaporate just as quickly. His eyes lazily traced the intricate patterns in the floor tiles, lost in thought. _"It could just be a mistake, could it? No, Korrah's always so certain whenever she has one of her 'special' dreams."_ Devahin thought, thinking back over just the past year. _"She wouldn't stop warning Sommer about the freak storm that hit the Chandrilan House just after…_ _that_ _vision, the first one she had, and we never have that kind of weather on Chandrila. I know Bonny's either deathly afraid or eternally grateful to her for saving Murdle's life when she alerted the Daycare staff she was going to have a seizure…by Chandra, it was_ _Korrah_ _who dropped the baby-bomb on Griffen and Raetha before Raetha even knew herself!"_

Devahin didn't have to convince himself that Korrah's future-telling powers were legitimate. Honestly, his biggest worry about Korrah's 'visions' was over how little control his little girl seemed to have over them.

He loved his daughter, even if after all this time he still didn't understand her powers. It tore at his soul to have no way of helping her – of protecting her – from what she saw.

And it was that love ingrained on his very core as a father that made all of stress and self-doubt he'd experienced – ever since the scare of Korrah's first 'vision' – bearable as long as he could believe she was safe and happy. He loved his daughter more than life itself. Even with her strange powers, he wouldn't change a single hair on her head.

Sure, Savah still had her fears over how Korrah's abilities affected her mentally and attributed it to her lack of interest in other children, but he was positive that she was just a naturally shy child and it had nothing to do with her abilities.

But to see him die, that- that could traumatize her if it ever came true. She was only a few months short of turning four standard. If he died that would mean leaving them behind and he couldn't do that. It would emotionally cripple Savah and Korrah was still just a child. She was still too young to fully understand what she saw. What if he really did get killed in the way that she'd seen? She could be misguidedly left feeling responsible or afraid her dreams.

" _I don't want to die. I can't. If I die…it would destroy Savah and Korrah…I can't do that to them. So what do I do?"_

All his thoughts of his wife and child, the uncertain future and his unfinished work were circling around his head and getting him nowhere. Devahin sighed heavily again in frustration and stood up. His back cracked loudly as he stretched and he turned his head towards the door when it opened and his brother entered the room. Sommer stopped in front of him with a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, Dev, everything alright? Do I need to put my baby brother down for a nap?" He laughed in the face of Devahin's glare.

"We both know how _that_ misguided attempt would end." he warned.

Sommer eyed his younger brother, who was broader in the shoulder and several inches taller than him. "Hey, you've been pulling as many hours as I have in the past few days, just with more caff and I'm worried about your health." He grinned. "Of course, it's less out of concern for you and more because I don't want Savah getting any angrier at me than she already is for making you miss her birthday, so I got to look out for myse- I mean, you."

"Go kiss a gundark, Sommer." Devahin snarked back, wincing and rotated his arm as he tried to loosen a stubborn knot in his shoulder.

His brother grimaced as Devahin stretched. "You know, it's just not fair you got both the brawn and the brains of the family. But then again, all the charm and good looks went to me, so it's not like I'm not complaining."

Sommer caught Devahin rolling his eyes. "Don't be jealous." he scolded.

Devahin finished his impromptu stretching routine by cracking his neck. "Yeah, right, I'm _so_ jealous. And when have you ever _not_ complained about being the oldest but also the shortest?" The tension he'd been feeling had somewhat lessened thankfully, but he really needed to get a full night sleep soon.

Sommer huffed and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Probably back when I _was_ the taller one and you still called me 'big bwother'."

Devahin smacked his hand away and they grinned good-naturedly at each other as they walked out of the room. Sommer's teasing attitude was tucked aside as he came back into business mode. "Hey, Beimon said you'd received a call and I really need to know if it was from Moric. We're still waiting on the official schedule for the day and, well, Bei's being stubborn again and won't give me a definite rotation from Security until he's got it."

The younger Hyymn brother shook his head and habitually ran his hand back through his hair.

"Wha- oh, no it wasn't, the call was from Savah. Korrah had a…well, she thinks it was another vision last night and wanted to make sure we were okay."

"A vision?" Sommer repeated. He eyed his brother warily. "Why? Was it something to do with the negotiations? Did something go wrong or were they successful?" He stopped and rolled his eyes at the deadpanned stare Devahin pinned him with. "Oh come on, Devahin, I've been tirelessly working on this for months and you expect me not to ask if my precious niece has seen me achieve what would be one of my greatest successes after telling me she's seen the future again?"

Devahin gave a wry grin at the older Hyymn's opportunistic streak. "Well, I can't tell you anything about how the negotiations will pan out, but if you count something as inconsequential as you and me dying by an unknown shadowing figure with a blaster as something that might 'go wrong' then, yeah, you're in luck."

Sommer stopped walking, shocked. "Wait, what! She saw us die! I mean- you're not serious, right?"

Devahin tried to reassure his brother. "It's not something that I'd claim to be an expert on, but Korrah's usually very astute when she sees these sort of things in her dreams. She sounded really worried about us when I spoke to her." He shrugged. "If you want, just to be on the safe side, we'll act a bit more careful than we normally do. Sound okay?"

Sommer nodded absentmindedly and stroked his chin. "Yeah, I guess, 'cause, you know I just realized I don't want to die. I've got too much I still need to do." He muttered and shot a concerned look back at his brother. "Korrah's visions don't always come true, do they? I mean, it's not certain that we get killed today."

Devahin ran his hand through his dark hair again. "She never actually said when it might happen, only that she saw us fighting in a hallway with someone she couldn't identify who had a blaster and shot us. If you remember, she followed Murdle, Bonny's little girl, around for over a week before she had that seizure remember?"

Sommer relaxed slightly as he recalled the incident. "So, it's all relative then, huh? That's reassuring."

The two men turned a corner and nodded politely towards several passing politicians heading the opposite way. Devahin quietly continued confiding in his brother. "I've been the one to deal with comforting Korrah over her dreams ever since the huge scare we had when she almost drowned. Savah's too leery over them and is happier just ignoring when it happens." He waved as someone called out his name in greeting as he walked by. "I'm not saying she's wrong to do so; it might give Korrah a sense of normalcy, but…I don't know, it can't be healthy keeping something like that all bottled up inside. She's not even four years old yet."

Sommer's expression morphed into one of deep concern. "She doesn't suffer from that kind of thing too often, does she?" he asked.

Devahin felt a flash of morose and breathed in deeply through his nose, craning his head back to look up at the highly arched ceiling. "Probably more often than she lets on. I think she can tell it disturbs Savah so she doesn't talk about them. She still hasn't said a word about the first vision she had over a year ago; the one that she said she died in. It's-" he breathed in sharply as he grit his teeth. "Chssk, it's just so frustrating how helpless I am. I mean- I can't _do_ anything about it, Sommer, and it's not like I can just make her stop sleeping."

Sommer gave his own helpless shrug. "Well then, don't beat yourself up over it. Say, her birthday's coming up in a few months, right? Take a few days off and go do something special together. Visit the ocean again or even better, the Jedi Tomb in the Crystal Caves. You don't have to go into detail about all the Jedi stuff, but at least you could explain there are other people that are different in the same way as her. I'm sure she'd love that." Sommer suggested.

They arrived at Sommer's office and found someone about to knock on the door. He was at least ten years older than them with laugh lines around his eyes and his mouth that hidden by a well-trimmed beard. His fiery red hair was neatly combed, contrasting nicely against his light blue and white clothes that were of simple design, but made of rich, expensive fabric.

Devahin had met many legislators, senators and important politicians in his life, but he had found himself starstruck by Moric Mothma when Sommer had first introduced him, as much as he'd been when he'd met his first celebrity at the beginning of his career.

He looked every inch a gallant man who carried honor like a badge in his very stride, or perhaps even like a benevolent king at first glance. And unlike many other politicians who tried to display the same sort of impression, Devahin had witness Moric show himself to be the genuine article; a rare and good man.

He turned at their approached and they could see his blue eyes were clear and sharp with intelligence. The man smiled as the Hyymn brothers walked up and bowed respectfully towards him. "Good morning Legislator Mothma, it's good to see you." Sommer said in greeting.

Moric Mothma held out his hand to Sommer and Devahin respectively who took it. "Good morning to you both as well. I came to deliver this to you Sommer," he handed over a datapad that Sommer quickly scanned and immediately recognized that it was the finalized schedule. Moric dipped his head apologetically. "Again, I apologize for the delay, but both of the representatives from Garos IV and Sundari are very anxious over this meeting. It was necessary to ensure that this chance to establish peaceful negotiations would happen, but with tensions still very high between the two worlds, I had to hold off releasing it as long as possible to appease their concerns of sabotage."

Sommer nodded and Devahin spoke up. "You certainly show great care and dedication to your cause, Mothma. Beginnings are one of the most delicate times to traverse through, especially in regards to a civil war. Hopefully, for the the sake of all involved, we will at least find a way to bring the violence to an end as soon as possible."

"Well said, Mister Hyymn." Moric agreed empathetically. His comlink chirped and he stepped back, glancing at it. "I'm already needed at the docks. The representatives are arriving shortly. Please give my regards to Captain Beimon when you deliver the schedule to him."

"Will do." Sommer nodded and the red-haired man left.

Sommer looked back down over the datapad and started walking towards the Security Captain's office. Devahin followed behind him. "If there's one thing I am grateful for about being involved in this whole fiasco is having the honor to work alongside a man like that."

Sommer finished speed-reading the information on the datapad as they approached the office door.

"If only I could say the same thing for everyone involved in this set up," He lamented and knocked on the door. "But I suppose every good experience comes with at least one regret."

The holo-lock on the outside of the door illuminated at the noise and a blue translucent figure appeared. It showed only the torso and head of a bald man in his late thirties with deep set eyes and a square jaw. "What is it?" he demanded before he recognize them. "Sommer Hyymn, I specifically asked that you not disturb me again today unless you had something of actual importance to discuss."

Devahin silently admired how much disdain Captain Beimon managed to communicate through the holo-projection.

He vaguely wondered how relations between these two men had spiraled into such levels of animosity. They'd hadn't even known each other existed until Sommer started organizing these peace talks and neither of them would go into detail over what had caused them to act like bitter, life-long enemies.

"As a matter of fact, I've got the one thing you'll open this door for." Sommer said confidently as he waved the datapad in front of himself. The projection wavered out of existence and the lock flickered from red to green signaling that it was now unlocked.

They entered and Devahin shut the door behind them as Sommer strode up to the desk centered near the back wall. The interior was very Spartan in its decorum, with almost no decoration aside from an abstract, carved wooden statue placed purposefully on the top of a full bookcase.

Captain Beimon Wyun sat imperially behind his impeccably organized desk in a high, straight-backed chair with no cushions that looked so uncomfortable Devahin thought it had to be some kind of re-purposed torture device than an actual chair.

Beimon was already glaring at Sommer, for whatever reason, as if their intrusion into his office was worthy of capital punishment. He usually ignored Devahin's existence, barely stringing five words together in his directin.

However, when Beimon had to address Sommer, it was always with a rigid, and tightly-controlled voice that made Devahin idly wonder if the captain had ever served within a military organization before becoming a modestly-paid security guard.

"So, you have finally secured a schedule for the meeting. I hope you know that yours is not the only meeting taking place on this day and the continuous delays have only caused trouble for all others. I also have better things to do and real work that I am needed to oversee, rather than sitting idle waiting for information that should have been delivered to me no later than a week in advance of the finalization during the initial hall reservation; months ago."

Sommer had the audacity to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. And I've already explained why you wouldn't get it until today, but obviously you didn't care to listen. Honestly, if it weren't for this job, I'd never even set foot in here." He gritted out and tossed the datapad on Beimon's desk with a snap of his wrist. "Moric sends his regards." He deadpanned.

Devahin couldn't help but sympathize for his brother's plight. Sommer was right in part; if he hadn't taken on Moric's offer for work, he and Captain Beimon probably never would have met each other.

Devahin just shook his head as Beimon made a show of ignoring Sommer who stood in front of him waiting impatiently for him to finish reading the datapad. He occupied himself with the few framed holo-certificates that hung on the office's otherwise bare walls and numbly admired the shade of washed out gray. He was pretty sure some of the maintenance closets shared the same color palette.

A quick glace back at the other two inhabitants made his mouth quirk up slightly, but then quickly brought his hand up to disguise it.

Both men would deny it to their graves, but he thought his older brother and the security captain were very similar. The only defining difference between the two that Devahin could tell was that Beimon lacked Sommer's artistic flair for the dramatic. It's what made him such a good organizer for election campaigns.

" _And probably what makes Beimon so good at security."_ He thought to himself.

The captain finally finished absorbing the information on the datapad and contacted several of his lieutenants via holograms to relay their orders. When he was done, he closed his eyes and seemed to brace himself for a few seconds then looked up at Sommer. "Is there anything else you need, Sommer Hyymn?" he asked, tone clearly carrying a note of dismissal.

Sommer shamelessly ignored it and his face shifted from stormy intolerance to gracious in an instant. A nerve over Beimon's left eye twitched visibly at his colleague's new expression.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I might as well ask while I'm here. Would it be possible for me and my brother to get some blaster-proof vests?"

The bald captain looked at him like he was considering his next words very carefully. "Why?" he asked stonily, as if somewhat dreading the answer.

Sommer carried on with his request. "Well, Devahin's wife just called and said that their daughter had a vision last night in which he and I were murdered by someone and she's really the sweetest thing, I figured it's the least we could do to get her to rest easy, don't you think."

" _You'll never get him to agree if you say it in that way."_ Devahin thought and wondered over why his brother felt the need to make a complete gundark of himself in front of the Captain.

Beimon stared at him as if he had just spoken in gibberish.

"She saw someone kill you? In a dream." He said slowly.

"I know, right? Very inconsiderate of him." said Sommer.

"Really?" the security captain replied doubtfully.

Sommer just shrugged. "Well, what would you call someone if they killed me?" he asked.

"A lucky bastard." Beimon answered straight-faced.

Sommer scowled at the captain's unrepentant dismissal of his possible death. "You know, for a security captain, you could be a little more concerned over the possibility of trouble."

Beimon crossed his arms and stared back impassively. "I didn't get my position by humoring every nonsensical whim or jumping at shadows. I deal with real threats, not whatever some little girl had a bad dream about. My teams are set and already out doing their jobs. If it comes to pass that you are assaulted, there will be guards patrolling nearby to handle the problem."

He stood up and put on his gray cap to complete his uniform. "The best thing you can do to avoid trouble is to stay far out of the way as you possibly can and let the professionals do their job. Once the meeting starts, you'll have fulfilled your roles in this endeavor and I'll be free to do my duty in peace."

Now it was Sommer's turn to cross his arms as the three men walked out of the office. "Do you make little girls cry in your spare time? I bet it's your secret hobby, isn't it?"

Beimon almost seemed to ignore the taunt, but shrugged. "On the off chance you two do get attacked and die, I'll be sure to shake the attacker's hand for killing you before arresting him for killing your brother."

And with that parting jab, Captain Beimon turned away before Sommer could say another word and stalked off, leaving them to watch his stiff back disappear down the hallway. Devahin walked up next to him and gave him a questioning look. Sommer stopped glaring at Beimon's retreating back and just shrugged again, as if completely clueless. "I don't think he likes me very much." He explained shortly.

Devahin hummed, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "He must be jealous of your charm and good looks, Sommer." He laughed when Sommer growled at him and the brothers began walking back to the hall where the meeting would be taking place. Sommer's sour encounter with the vexatious security captain had inspired him to go over the room once more and ensure it was organized to perfection.

* * *

An hour later, he was contemplating on checking everything a third time when it was announced that the representatives were approaching and the peace talks would begin within the next thirty minutes.

As Devahin and Sommer were greeting the arrivals, Moric approached with a peculiar individual whom Devahin had never seen before. He bowed politely towards Mothma who in turn introduced his companion.

"Devahin and Sommer Hyymn, I would like to introduce you to Master Yoda of the Jedi Order." he stated clearly. "He has graciously volunteered to act as an impartial mediator during today's discussion and I am most grateful to have him here today."

Devahin's brain stalled at the mention of the word 'Jedi', but he recovered quickly and composed himself, bowing politely again to the small green alien. "It is an honor to have you with us today, Master Jedi. We hope you find your time here to be pleasant."

Master Yoda nodded genially back to him. "Indeed, a pleasure it will be to see peace found here today, hm."

Devahin smiled. The Jedi had an odd way of speaking, but his manner was quite disarming and had an oddly calming effect. Moric politely excused himself and left to go speak with the representatives of the two warring planets.

Devahin's thoughts started to drift towards his daughter for a second as he observed the Jedi Master before he realized Sommer hadn't properly greeted their newest guest. He surreptitiously elbowed him in the side and succeeded in jolting him out of whatever thoughts he'd been distracting with.

Not hard enough apparently, as Sommer had to go and put his foot in his mouth. "A Jedi Master? I…have never met a Jedi before, much less a Master. I apologize; you're not what I was expecting a Jedi to look like." he said.

Devahin internally winced. _"All those calls you made to me over the years, asking about interpersonal relations, public speaking and what pitfalls to avoid and you never actually listened to anything I said, did you?"_

He didn't really blame Sommer for his words – in fact, he felt very similar at seeing the Jedi – but they'd both been working in politics for far too long to have any excuse for saying that sort of thoughtless comment out loud. He was about to apologize, but Master Yoda beat him to the punch as he sent his brother a withering look, the strength of which Devahin had previously only thought the elderly Marrine to be capable of. _"Maybe it's an age thing."_ He secretly pondered and suppressed a shudder. Sommer wasn't able to do the same, taking on the brunt of the small Jedi's piercing scrutiny.

"Judge me not by my size and age. Through the Force, many things are possible even for one such as I, youngling." Devahin quickly coughed and turned his head to disguise his mirth at his older brother being called 'youngling' by the elderly alien. He couldn't help it; he liked this Jedi.

Seemingly satisfied by Sommer's chastised and cowed expression, Master Yoda softened his features. "Led by the Force I was to this meeting. To follow its will and to be of assistance I seek here today." He bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you all for your hard work and welcome I do."

As the greetings were finished, Master Yoda joined the rest of the gathered attendees and the meeting was called to order in typical Chandrilan fashion. That was also Sommer and Devahin's cue to leave as they were only involved in the organization of the meeting and not in the negotiations themselves.

They meandered back towards Sommer's office together in no real hurry, relishing in the slow release of their former responsibilities which had burdened them with from their shoulders. Devahin spotted Captain Beimon with one of his lieutenants patrolling the hallways and the man offered an uncharacteristic smile and a wave in their direction as they passed by.

" _I guess he's happiest when he's working."_ Devahin thought and waved back.

He pulled up short as Sommer stopped walking. "What is it?"

Sommer looked about their surroundings. "Well, I seem to recall that your little girl was very concerned about us earlier this morning and thought we could probably be exercising some more caution in regards to where we are."

Devahin suddenly remembered the perturbing holo-call from earlier. Shame twisted inside his chest; he'd completely forgotten about it over the past few hours. "We can stay in your office until late hours. That should be enough, I think. There's no point in stressing ourselves out over it."

The older of the Hyymn brothers made an uninterested face at the idea. "I'm just suggesting that maybe we should be avoiding the hallways. And spending the rest of the day locked in my own office sounds really boring."

Devahin shook his head and started walking again and Sommer stepped forward to catch up. "There's a lounge several floors down from this one that's near by the cafeteria and has a really good view of the landscaping. We'll just lay about there until we can retire for the night then."

Sommer nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, we could do that. Or…" Sommer's eyes lit up with a mischievous light and Devahin sighed.

"Oh dear, what is it?" he asked.

Sommer put a hand on his shoulder and steered him back where they had just come from and around a corner. "I've got the perfect idea on where we can lay low."

Devahin raised a skeptic eyebrow, but allowed himself to be steered around another corner by his brother. "Do I dare to ask?"

Sommer smile just got bigger. "Don't bother, I'll tell you. Beimon wants us out of the way and we need somewhere safe to be until talks are over, right? So, we'll just hang out in Bei's office while he's not there." His mischievous grin showed off his teeth as he rubbed his hands together. "Simplest plan in the world; safe, secure and out of the way."

"And guaranteed to make Captain Beimon angry." Devahin intoned dryly.

"Bonus!" Sommer agreed.

They stood in front of the captain's office door once again and Devahin leaned his back against the wall when they arrived. Sommer activated the holo-lock and a blue keypad sprang to life in front of them and asked for them to enter the proper security code.

Thinking that would be the end of it, Devahin pushed off the wall. "Oh look at that, we need a code. Well, that's too bad, it looks like we'll be heading to the lounge after al-"

He was interrupted by an affirmative chirping and a flashing green light. Devahin looked back at a positively smug Sommer incredulously. "Sommer, how did you-?"

Sommer smirked and walked in through the now unlocked door. "Birthday and badge number. I swear, Bei hasn't got an original bone in his bod-" he suddenly stopped short just as he reached the desk and choked as if he'd been punched in the gut. "Oh, _Chandra_!" He jumped back so fast he almost collided with Devahin.

His younger brother steadied him before he slowly approached the desk to see what it was for himself and froze.

Captain Beimon lay stripped of his uniform on the floor and hidden behind the desk. His skin was ash gray and a charred hole penetrated his chest over his heart.

A blaster shot.

Horrified, Devahin quickly stepped back to stand next to his brother, not bothering to check the body. Beimon was dead.

Sommer had turned an unhealthy pale as well and seemed to be in shock. "What's going on? I mean we- we just saw him an hour ago and now,…now he's-"

Devahin took a deep breath to calm his own rising panic before he suddenly remembered something. "Sommer, if…Captain Beimon's dead body is in here, then there was someone else who looked just like him wearing his uniform walking around." He moved in front of his brother to hold his attention. "I _just_ saw who I thought was the Captain patrolling the hallways a couple minutes ago."

Sommer's eyes widened and Devahin continued as the situation began to press in around him. "It could've been a- a look alike or even a changeling." he looked over towards the body. "Either way, we need to go check it out." Devahin went back over to the desk, carefully avoided the body and thinking back on Sommer's comment of the Capatin's lack of creativity, looked under the heavy piece of furniture. He was satisfied to find a small blaster pistol securely hidden underneath and grabbed it.

He concealed the small weapon within his clothing and started to head for the door, but Sommer grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Devahin! What in hels do you think you're doing? You can't just go out and try to solve this on your own! Have you forgotten about Korrah's vision or are you just willfully ignoring the danger?! Are you really going to risk yourself going out there only to get yourself killed? We don't know what's going on! Let's contact someone else on security and let them handle this." he pleaded.

Devahin turned to face him. "Sommer, did Beimon ever seem like the kind of man who could be taken off guard easily?" He couldn't explain why, but something was nagging at him. He felt like the time they had was running out; something was happening, he just didn't know what it was.

Sommer stalled as he answered his question. "What? No, the kriffin' guy was always wound too tight, like he expected the walls to attack him. Why?"

His younger brother nodded. "So that means it's likely he was killed by someone who could past his paranoia, possibly by someone he knew."

Sommer threw his other hand up towards the ceiling, failing to get where Devahin was going with this. "All the more reason to not go after them ourselves. We're calling security." he demanded.

Devahin shook his head. "Sommer, whoever's responsible could be impersonating other security personnel or any one of the guards could have gone turncoat, so we still don't know who we can trust without running a greater risk of getting killed, or the alarms going off and starting a panic or worse. We'll just have to be careful. Okay?" he pulled his arm out of his brother's grasp and looked over his shoulder as he reached for the door.

"You coming?" he asked.

Sommer ground his teeth together and gave an aggravated sigh. "This is the stupidest thing you've ever done. But fine, of course I'm coming! I'm not going to let you to go and get yourself killed because you couldn't resist being a kriffin' hero." He lifted his face to look him straight in the eye. "And, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, I really don't want Savah any angrier at me than she already is. This way, when we both die, she'll have mean things to say about both of us at our funerals." He said shook his head, lamenting the foolishness he'd found himself in even as Devahin squeezed his shoulder in gratitude. They exited the office locking the door behind them.

The two men walked casually through the halls, retracing their steps towards the spot where Devahin had seen the imposter Beimon. Both of them stopped at the intersection and started looking around.

Devahin was trying to figure out which direction the imposter might have gone when Sommer tapped him in the chest.

"There, Dev, do you see that?" He whispered urgently.

Devahin looked to the left of the intersection where Sommer was motioning. All he could see was a couple interns conversing with each other by one of the tall windows. They were pretty far off down the hall and he could barely make them out. There was also a janitorial droid buffing the floors much closer to them. "What is it, what do you see?"

Sommer jerked his head towards the mechanical cleaner. "The droid."

Devahin squinted, confused. "It's not yet eleventh hour, Sommer. Everyone who works here is either holding a meeting or catching up on their paperwork before the afternoon debates, so it's normal to see janitorial droids working around this time of day." He said, not understanding his brother's point.

But Sommer kept eyeing the droid with suspicion. "That's just it, Devahin. The Maintenance Crews finished their rounds early this morning, well before the normal time. I just remembered that piece of information was listed in the schedule we got today and Moric didn't hand that to us to deliver to Beimon until after they were done. No janitorial staff should be on duty until way past noon during the debates."

Devahin looked towards the droid in a new light. "Then who activated the droid?" Sommer shook his head, showing he didn't know. Devahin stepped down the hallway. "Well, let's go ask it, I guess."

The two of them then casually approached the droid, which acknowledged them in a surprisingly courteous fashion.

"A good day to you, sirs. This one is Janitorial Service Droid model D3-I0. How might this one be of service to you?"

Devahin shot a look at Sommer, signifying that he would be taking the lead in asking questions. He addressed the cleaning droid. "Good morning. Sorry for asking, but we're a bit confused about why you're operating at this time, D3."

The droid's oblong head tilted to one side as if confused itself. "This one does not know of any inconsistency. All units are to carry out default settings of programmed janitorial work in the standard rotations. Has this one malfunctioned and missed rotation?" it asked.

Sommer couldn't help himself and spoke up. "Uh, no you didn't miss anything. We're just concerned because the schedule was changed to early this morning so there shouldn't be any need for you to be working right now."

D3 drooped at this piece of news. "Ah, this one has indeed malfunctioned, because this one does not contain data on any schedule change. It is to the scrap bin for this one for sure." It lamented.

Devahin awkwardly tried to reassure the droid. "It might have been an organic error, no need to scrap you just yet. By the way, who authorized you to be operable at this time?"

"That would be Security Captain Beimon Wyun, sir." Said D3. Sommer and Devahin shared a knowing look.

"Where is Captain Beimon right now?" Devahin asked carefully.

D3 motioned to a nearby door adjoining the hallway they were standing in. "In there, sir. The Captain requested that this one clean while he conferred with one of the organic Maintenance personnel and one of his lieutenants. Apparently, there was a concern over mold in the ventilation shafts. Shall this one inform the Captain that you wish to see him?"

Devahin nodded to the droid. "There's no need, we'll go ourselves. Thank you for your assistance D3. Please, carry on with your work."

The robot dipped its head cordially. "Of course, sir. Much obliged and this one wishes you both a good day."

Sommer and Devahin slowly and quietly slipped inside the doors. It was only a normal storage room.

However, both of them already knew when they entered there was another sign that something was afoot inside. All Maintenance personnel were required to key in a pass code to record the time they spent cleaning each room before entering and when they left. It helped with calculating pay and other costs. They were also supposed to lock the doors to storage rooms like these during to avoid anyone unauthorized from entering and interrupting possibly delicate work.

The lock on this door had been unlocked and furthermore deactivated.

They progressed slowly in the long, dim room. Voices floated around a corner and they crouched down, sneaking behind some storage crates pushed up near the walls.

"Don't do anything reckless." Sommer whispered softly.

Devahin almost rolled his eyes and peered around the side of the crates where saw three people. One of them was leaning against the far wall while the other two were crouched down. They all looked human; the first was an attractive woman with purple colored hair, wearing an oversized security uniform and twirling the Beimon's gray captain's cap around her finger. She was pouting her full lips and looked like she was completely bored while the other two, both men, were focusing laser drills over one of the labeled pipes that ran along the walls.

One of the men was wearing a security guard uniform as well. He turned towards the woman, obviously irritated.

"Are you going to do anything to speed this along, you pompous brat, or are you not done buffing your nails yet?" he spat acidly.

The woman flippantly brushed off his insults and even started studying her polished fingertips in response. "My part in all this is done. I was supposed to get us in and I did. I never signed up for menial labor and it's not my fault that it was all too easy; has to be the most brainless job I've ever taken."

The fake security guard sneered. "Oh, does the little princess need more excitement? Even after taking out those two security guards?" he mocked.

The woman dained to cast a condescending glance in his direction. "My skills are beyond sufficient for what this job required. I'm the one wasting my talents here. While humanoid forms are easy, I just absolutely hate appearing as the ugly male ones." She dropped the cap carelessly to the floor and crossed her arms. "And I can't stand this planet's weather either. Everything's so moderate, it makes me sick."

Her argumentative companion spat at her feet making her flinch back and twist her pretty face in disgust.

"I'd rather suffer through a heat storm on Ryloth than have to go on listening to you complain about the kriffin' weather and your so called talents. Quit your whining, pick up a drill and stop being so useless. That way, we'll be out of here sooner and I don't have to hear your obnoxious voice moaning like a shaak in heat anymore." He growled.

She hissed at him, highly offended, but the other man, dressed in a maintenance uniform, intervened.

"Hey, we get this job done and we all get paid. What happens after that, who cares?"

The arguing couple studiously started ignoring each other after that.

Devahin turned to Sommer, but belatedly realize that he was no longer hiding next to him. Scanning the room a tell-tale bit of movement caught his eye to the left of the three intruders. A hand reached out from behind several crates and carefully pulled a black case from next to the three unidentified intruders out of sight.

Devahin couldn't believe his eyes. _"Who was it that just said something about NOT doing anything reckless?"_

He watched stunned as Sommer slide silently back to his position holding the case and jerked his head towards the exit. He bit back the words he dearly wanted to say to his brother in that moment and followed him.

Behind them, the two men pried the piece of pipe off and the fake maintenance worker motioned to his male companion. "Open the case, Forrot. We need to put the gas capsule in, now, quickly."

Sommer and Devahin flinched and went stiff when they heard that, glancing worriedly at each other and started moving just a little faster than before.

They heard one of them shuffling around before growling angrily. "Where is it?" the one named Forrot had turned on the woman.

"I didn't touch your precious case, so don't blame me!" she denied.

"Hey, listen…" The second man tried to calm the other two down again, but Forrot wasn't having any of it.

"Kriffin' hels, Quippo! The little schutta was the only one that wasn't doing any real work! Now where's the case?"

The brothers had just reached the corner when a blaster bolt shot past Devahin's head and sparked brightly as it impacted the wall next to him, leaving him showered with dust and grit.

"We've got a couple rats!" the woman snarled and raised her small blaster again.

However, she was unable to take a clear shot as the one named Quippo was already on his feet and charged Sommer, blocking her view. Sommer quickly brought the case up in a wild swing and by he pure luck, the corner of the heavy metal case caught the man squarely under the chin, snapping his head back and throwing him off balance causing his skull to crash hard into nearby durasteel pipe with a low 'gong'. He crumbled to the ground and they wasted no more time turning to run for the door.

"Stop them!" shouted Forrot and the woman sprung forward ahead of him.

Devahin and Sommer burst through the door and into the bright hallway at a mad sprint, almost tripping over D3.

"Why sirs, this one is confused by your haste in…"

The droid was cut off when the woman – now disguised again as Captain Beimon – raced through the doors after the Hyymn brothers and crashed into the droid.

In the split second she was hampered by the dismayed droid's flailing limbs and buffer brush, Devahin pulled the blaster pistol from his clothes and fired. A blue stun ring hit the imposter and she was immediately knocked unconscious, shifting back into her true alien appearance.

A blaster bolt screeched through the air from the open doors and Sommer suddenly yelped in pain dropped the case and collapsed clutching his left leg. Another bolt followed and grazed Sommer's shoulder as he fell to the floor. Devahin moved to stand protectively over him and fired another stun ring and the last intruder, but he missed and Forrot shot again, this time aiming directly at him.

Miraculously, he wasn't hurt. Instead the bolt struck his pistol dead on, melting the metal and rendering it useless.

With no weapon and fueled with the need to protect his brother, Devahin committed a desperate act of unthinking bravery and tossed the ruined pistol at Forrot, charging the fake guard. He was reaching for the case, but aborted the movement as Devahin grappled with him over his weapon.

Both men were physically strong and struggled to gain control away from the other. As Forrot tried to maneuver the barrel towards Devahin he forced it to point downwards at the floor.

Then Forrot got his finger on the trigger and a blaster bolt exploded between them. Bits of broken tile sprayed up and a strangled cry ripped its way out of Devahin as the skin on the inside of his left calf and inner ankle was instantly vaporized by the close proximity of the blast.

Fortunately for Devahin, Forrot suddenly slipped on gravel that now littered the highly polished floors and was dragged down by his opponent's weight. Ignoring the pain he felt in his leg with a gargantuan effort, Devahin twisted the man's hand holding the blaster sharply and heard a satisfying snap. Forrot screamed and the pistol dropped from his limp grasp.

The injury only seemed to enrage him further and they continued to fight. Devahin almost managed to put his other arm into a joint-lock, but he was dealt a vicious kick to his wounded ankle that sent eruptions of pain up his leg. Off balance, the man threw him off and rolled forward, grabbing the abandoned blaster in his uninjured hand before standing up.

Within the few seconds of being cast aside, Devahin saw that the weapon aimed at Sommer's unprotected back as he tried brace himself against the wall to limp away with the case.

His foot shrieked in burning agony as Devahin tried to force himself to stand up in time to save his brother.

But then, as if by magic, the blaster pistol was pulled out of Forrot's hands and flew through the hallway and past Sommer, right into the waiting grip of the small Jedi Master Yoda.

He stood in the middle of the hallway, blaster held in one hand and his cane in the other. "Cease your actions you will, or much worse you will face." He warned, unexpectedly intimidating for a creature of such small stature.

Devahin didn't wait. Pushing himself forward he tackled the man again and successfully restrained his arms as more security guards arrived.

Several of them split up between cuffing the unconscious changeling and heading into the maintenance room for Quippo who was also still knocked unconscious inside.

A straw-haired deputy helped Devahin up as his comrades took over restraining Forrot. "We got it from here, Mister Hyymn. Go get yourself and your brother checked out." He said.

Nodding gratefully, Devahin gingerly limped over to Sommer who was seated against the wall. He relinquished the case to the attending Captain who opened it and found a large capsule of pale pink gas. He peered at the label and hissed sharply at whatever it said, quickly shutting it back in the case.

What happened afterwards was little more than a blur as time seemed to speed up for Devahin after he and Sommer recounted what had happened. Before he knew it, a couple of stretchers had arrived for them. Devahin nodded in thanks to the captain as he help his brother up onto one of them and they were both speedily escorted to the nearby Med Center.

At their request, two brothers were set up to share a room together as the medical droids and attendants began treating their injuries.

Devahin winced as the droids surgically cut off his pants and got his first proper view of his wounded leg. All along the inside of his calf and shin was a long, red strip of bare wet muscle that was visible inside a ring of white blisters and charred black flesh. He could even see the pale ankle bone peeking out from the mess.

"Nothing to worry about, Mister Hyymn." Said the medical droid as it disinfected the wound and began to cut away the dead skin. "None of the damage sustained is irreversible."

Devahin felt a rush of relief flood through him and began to breath easier. "So, I'll be able to walk again with no problem?" he asked hopefully.

The droid nodded. "Yes, some skin grafts and routine bacta treatment should suffice, but I'm afraid you won't be walking for a while unfortunately. I'm terribly sorry, but you will most likely be asked to refrain from using your limb until it has healed sufficiently."

Sommer huffed from his cot. "Well, that's some good news! Now I don't have to worry about Savah demanding my leg as a replacement."

Devahin smirked. "They'd be too short anyway."

Sommer made a face at him. "Maybe it will get infected and they'll have to saw it off. We'll see whose short then, won't we?"

The medical droids silenced any more playful banter as they finished cleaning their wounds and started bandaging them up. Devahin's leg was supported slight off he bed to aid in blood flow and Sommer was given additional instructions from the medical staff on how to sleep that night to avoid discomfort or causing the bandages to come loose.

* * *

Hours passed by the two men and the excitement of the day slowly faded away. The chrono on the wall showed that the day was creeping into the late hours while Devahin was deferring his exhaustion by reading reports on his datapad, which the nurses had been kind enough to fetch for him, but was becoming increasingly distracted by Sommer's continuous sighing over something on the other side of the room.

He finally put aside the datapad and raised an eyebrow over at Sommer.

"Something on your mind you'd like to share?" he asked.

His brother just started to mutter exasperatedly. "No, it's just that the blast to my shoulder blistered along my back as well. Sure, it's bandaged and the bacta's supposed to regrow the skin by tomorrow, but it also means I can't sleep on my back tonight." Sommer sighed tiredly one more time. "I could never fall asleep on my stomach, so it's turning into a long night for me."

Devahin grinned good-naturedly at him. "Well, try to endure your suffering in silence. Some of the other injured patients would like to get a well-deserved rest tonight."

Sommer demonstrated a brilliant display of immaturity when he blew his tongue at him in response.

He chuckled, feeling light hearted. "Are you sure you don't have something you want to get off your mind?"

He'd meant it as a joke, but was disturbed to see his brother's face take on a more serious look.

"I was thinking…about Beimon." He admitted.

Devahin was caught off guard but the shift in subject and tilted his head to one side in question.

Sommer rolled his eyes at his confused expression. "Don't give me that look. I mean, sure, he was about as cuddly as a Jodakan needler crab and friendly as a rabid rancor, but still. We weren't friends, but I never…thought he was a bad person."

Devahin smiled at his brother. "Someday I'm going to get you to tell me what really happened when you two first met to spawn such an antagonistic working relationship."

Sommer shot a half-hearted glare in his his direction. "I'm bothered that I can't get the memory of coming across his murdered body like that out of my head. It was…just…"

"Wrong?" Devahin hazarded a guess, not knowing what else to say to that.

Sommer didn't say anything at first, but then nodded. "Yeah. That." He drummed his fingers against the sheets of his cot. "It's kind of weird; how your views on people can change just a bit, after they're gone."

Devahin thought over his own opinion on the fallen captain. They'd never been close either, but Beimon had at least seemed to think he was someone worth avenging if he'd ever been killed (in stark contrast to what he'd said of his brother). "Considering that I didn't know him as long as you did, certainly not enough to say whether or not he was a good man, but I do think he was a good security captain."

Sommer lay his head to one side on his pillow. "Well…if you give him that much credit, I guess, but you'll never hear me admit it out loud."

Devahin just shook his head at his brother's stubbornness.

Their attention was diverted with the door to their room opened and both occupants were shocked to see a distraught Savah standing there with little Korrah at her side.

"Savah!" Devahin exclaimed and winced as he jolted his leg sitting up. "How- what are you doing here?"

The moment her eyes fell upon him a mountain of worry visibly evaporated from his wife's shoulders and she breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly strode over and embraced him.

"Devahin, I was so…I almost panicked when I heard."

Devahin carefully maneuvered his wife to sit in the side of the bed so that she didn't jostle his suspended leg. "Savah, love, I'm right here. Please, start at the beginning. When did you…" he trailed off, trying to figure out how to calm her down while also finding out what was going on.

Savah took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. She was still worried, but she was already starting to look better. "I had only dropped off Korrah at Daycare a few hours before I received a report…it was from Moric Mothma's aide. He'd said that you had been attacked." Her hands fidgeted with his white sheets and her shoulders were trembling slightly. "I sorry, I just…couldn't think straight. Korrah's…dream from last night wouldn't stop plaguing my mind and I had…I just had to come and make sure that you were…" She trailed off into sobs and Devahin gently cradled her face and wiped away her tears as they fell.

"Everything's okay, Savah. We're both alright. Whatever report you received, it was either grossly overstated or greatly lacking in the important details." He motioned towards his leg. "I'll be off of my feet for a few months, maybe, but the medics say I won't even have a scar to show off after this." He grasped Savah's hands in his and squeezed reassuringly. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Love."

His wife took another deep breath and calmed down a bit more, sniffing and wiping her face clean.

They turned to the sound of animated voices and saw that Korrah had taken to sitting on the other cot where Sommer was in the middle of explaining what had occurred earlier that day and recounting their big adventure to her. The married couple shared a smile as their daughter started asking questions every time Sommer tried to continue embellishing on what had really happened.

"So Papa saved you from the bad man?"

"Wha- no, I mean yes, he did, but I also saved him you see, and I was the one who defeated most of the bad guys. So as I was saying, after I knocked out the first guy with one punch, I got us out of there and pushed the Service droid in front of the changeling–"

"And then you got shot?

"No, I knocked out the changeling and then I got shot, now stop interrupting. Even though I was shot, I returned fire at the–"

"I thought Papa was the one who had the pistol?"

"Well, you thought wrong, it was me."

"But then how did Papa's leg get injured?"

"By Chandra, Korrah, would you just listen? He got hurt while he was wrestling with the man who shot me."

Korrah nodded slowly. "So then, Papa _did_ have the pistol and then he _did_ save you, didn't he?"

Sommer gave up and looked over imploringly at Savah. "Can you please get her off my bed now? She's not listening at all."

Korrah grinned impishly at him, but jumped off the cot and walked over to her father's bedside. "I'm glad you're not dead, Papa."

Devahin stroked her hair, idly proud it was the same shade of dark brown as his. "Thank you for warning me this morning, Korrah. I think you saved me and your Uncle Sommer today, you know."

Korrah smiled and he could tell she was trying not to cry. Savah pulled her daughter into her lap and laughed. "It's good to see you're okay as well Sommer. How are you taking your stay here in the Med Center?"

Sommer shrugged as best he could from his injuries and prone position. "I'm not complaining. Being hailed as a hero has caught me the attention of some of the cute nurses that work here." he winked.

"How cute?" Korrah piped up again.

Sommer eyed her cautiously, expecting another verbal spar. "None of your business. You're too young to understand anyway."

"Are they cuter than me?" she asked widening her eyes 'innocently'.

Sommer scowled at her and then at Devahin when he started chuckling at his expense. "Hey, don't you start or you'll just encourage her."

"I want to see! I'll go find them!" Korrah cried excitedly and with one last mischievous look at her uncle, she hopped off Savah's lap and ran over to the door.

In her haste, she almost ran into the short figure standing on the other side, but stopped in time to avoid a collision.

Her manners surfaced and she began to apologize, but her words faded when she saw who it was.

"Master Yoda!"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't able to get more of Yoda into this chapter, but he will have a much larger part in the next one as he comes face-to-face with Korrah and her family.**

 **Thank you once again from reading this far into _Anomaly_! Please leave a review and I hope that you all have a wonderful day.  
**


	6. Chapter 5: Uproot

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Trying to get this chapter written, edited and published while battling the chaos that always comes with this wonderful holiday was a bear, but it's finally here! I hope you all enjoy it and thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows!**

 **Special thank you to Ducky9002 for working through the holidays 'beta-ing' this chapter. You rock!**

 **This one has been anticipated by many of you so I hope it delivers well. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Uproot

Korrah cursed her short legs as Savah pulled her along into the MedCenter and only stopped briefly at the front desk. The little girl barely had enough time to readjust her bag and make sure one of her shoes wouldn't slip off before her mother got the directions to her father's room and they were off again.

She didn't complain. Korrah was worried about what could have happened to Devahin too. It was enough to stop her from voicing any discomfort over the quick pace Savah had set – as well as the loss of feeling she was experiencing in her left hand due to the woman's tight grip.

And then when they reached the room and the automatic doors opened to allow Korrah's eyes to fall upon Devahin – _alive_ and relatively okay, she felt so relieved she nearly burst into tears.

Devahin just looked surprised to see them. "Savah! How- what are you doing here?"

At his dumbfounded question, Savah was already a lost cause. She relinquished her tight grip on Korrah's small hand and rushed over to her husband's bedside. Korrah walked towards the foot of the bed at a slower pace, massaging the pins-and-needles feeling out of her hand as the blood returned all at once. The older woman had been keeping a vice-like hold on her limb like it was a life-line ever since they departed the Station. Now, seeing Devahin alive when they entered the room was just about all it took to break the dam that had been holding her emotions at bay.

Korrah vaguely noticed the doors closed automatically behind her. As Savah broke down in Devahin's arms, Korrah restrained herself from pushing past her and checking him over herself…before demanding answers.

" _I know what I saw. So what could have influenced my vision from last night? Obviously_ _something_ _happened to Papa and Uncle Sommer, but if they were really attacked, how did they survive?"_

Both her uncle and Devahin were injured, but after scanning over them laid out on their hospital beds, it seemed to Korrah that aside from Devahin's leg, nothing was serious. _"So what happened? Was it because I told them about the vision and gave them time to prepare? What if I hadn't said anything; would that have resulted in the same thing?"_

All her questions, theories and former anxiousness was making her head go in circles. She needed answers, dammit!

Korrah looked around the room. Devahin was on the left while Uncle Sommer was lying on his stomach in his cot on the other side of the room. His torso was bandaged as was one of his legs, and he had his head propped up by his arm as he watched Devahin comforting Savah.

Devahin was calm and reassuring as ever; much more concerned over the reason for their surprise arrival than his own state of health.

With her questions pressing forward from her mind – as much as she wanted to interrogate her father, it was better to let him deal with Savah now that she was allowing herself to break down from the stress – Korrah swallowed her impatience and left her parents alone to themselves and instead went over to Uncle Sommer's cot.

He smiled widely at her. "Hey there, Little Korrah. It's so nice that you came to see me and your dad."

She smothered her grimace at his pet name for her. She hated being called 'little'.

"I'm glad you're not dead Uncle Sommer. What happened to you?" she asked.

Her uncle smiled, revealing his dimples and carefully pushed himself up on his forearms. "Oh, it was a great adventure! Your father and I discovered a group of assassins who had infiltrated the Chandrilan House and, being the brave heroes that we are, your dad helped me fight and defeated them."

Korrah bore the painful way that he talked down to her as if she really were an almost-four-year-old; she was used to it by now. If she ignored the theatrics of Sommer's vague summary, she was able to guess at what had occurred as Sommer continued his account of their 'daring actions'. As much as she admired her father's gift with words, Uncle Sommer certainly had talent for it as well, making things sound grander than they really were. Even in his dumbed down version.

"What about the assassins? I only saw you fighting one last night, so what happened to the others?"

Sommer cast a quick glance in her parent's directions and only ruffled her loose hair.

"Don't worry Korrah, they're locked away and won't hurt anyone anymore."

Korrah huffed in frustration at his deflection and tried a different tactic. She'd figured out some time ago that sometimes the best way to deal with her uncle was to subtly pinch his ego. If she did it right, he'd unintentionally reveal small pieces of information that he hadn't originally meant to.

"So, Papa saved you from the bad man?" she said, playing up her innocent, child-like curiosity.

Sommer blinked. "Wha- no, I mean yes, he did, but I also saved him you see, and I was the one who defeated most of the bad guys." He quickly picked up retelling his part in the story. "So as I was saying, after I knocked out the first guy with one punch, I got us out of there and pushed the Service droid in front of the changeling-"

Korrah interrupted. "And then you got shot?" She carefully watched his face as Sommer shook his head.

" _If I make him confused, he might let more slip."_ She thought.

"No, I knocked the changeling out and then I got shot, now stop interrupting. Even though I was shot, I returned fire at the-"

"I thought Papa was the one who had the pistol." She pointed out. _"He just clearly stated earlier that Devahin was the one who retrieved the Security Captain's blaster from his office. There wasn't any mention of him giving it to him during this story."_

Sommer shot her an irritated glared for the second interruption. "Well, you thought wrong, it was me."

" _Actually, I didn't think anything. You were the one who said it."_ Korrah internally countered. "But then how did Papa's leg get injured?"

Sommer rolled his eyes, clearly growing impatient. "By Chandra, Korrah, would you just listen? He got hurt while he was wrestling with the man who shot me."

She surreptitiously looked over at her father's suspended limb through the corner of her eye. _"Well, at least that gives me something to work with. It's close to the same of what I saw happen. He was still shot by the dark figure that first shot Uncle Sommer; just like the dream. Only, for whatever reason, it wasn't fatal. Was it because he had his own weapon?"_

She nodded slowly as if understanding. _"But I still need to know more."_

"So then, Papa _did_ have the pistol," she pressed forward, "and then he _did_ save you, didn't he?"

Unfortunately for her, Korrah's efforts were halted as Sommer addressed her now pacified mother. "Can you please get her off my bed now? She's not listening at all."

Korrah resisted the childish urge to pout and instead hid her frustration by sending an impish grin at him. _"Ugh, you adults can't hide the truth forever. I'll just have to ask Devahin when I get the chance."_

Knowing that she wouldn't be getting anything useful out of him now, she walked over and grabbed one of Devahin's big hands. "I'm glad you're not dead, Papa." She said. And she was being completely honest. Devahin had become as much of a father to her as her previous one. He was different, for sure, but good.

" _Dad would have liked him, I bet. For his straight arrow personality, and the intelligent conversation at the very least."_

He gently freed his hand and stroked her head like Sommer had, but she let him. It reinforced the fact in her mind that he was alive and okay. "Thank you for warning me this morning, Korrah. I think you saved me and your Uncle Sommer today, you know." He said.

Korrah felt a thrill rush through her and tears welled up in her eyes at the delayed relief over the false prediction of her vision. _"I want to believe that. That I saved you. And Uncle Sommer. No one's going to take my family from me again if I can stop it."_

She hoisted herself onto the hospital cot and allowed Savah to pull her into her lap. Korrah figured that she could put up with being babied by her mother just a bit after this scare because she knew it wouldn't last that long. She was just happy that her family was whole and together.

Savah had stopped crying and turned to smile at Sommer. "It's good to see that you're okay as well Sommer. How are you taking your stay here in the Med Center?"

Korrah rolled her eyes and spied Devahin doing the same as her uncle flashed her mother a roguish grin.

"I'm not complaining. Being hailed as a hero has caught me the attention of some of the cute nurses that work here." He even had the nerve to wink knowingly at them.

Korrah hid a smirk and shifted her expression to open curiosity again. "How cute?"

Sommer must have wised up to her act when she wasn't looking because he was eyeing her with suspicion. _"That's not good. I'll have to practice that later."_ she thought.

"None of your business. You're too young to understand anyway."

Korrah accepted his challenge to shut her down by widening her hazel eyes and pushed her lower lip forward just a little bit. She felt a wicked triumph come over her at the dawning horror of Sommer's face. He'd always cave like wet paper when she pulled out this look. "Are they cuter than me?"

She awarded herself a metaphorical point (Korrah – 12, Sommer – 9) as her uncle buried his face in his pillow before snapping it back up again, his expression morphed into a scowl when he heard Devahin start chuckling behind her.

Satisfied with what she had accomplished she was about to lean back into her mother's chest when something suddenly caught Korrah's attention, distracting her from the three family members in the room. It hovered on the edge of her senses. Particularly the…other sense that she had. The 'Force-sense'.

" _It feels…big. Really big; and calm…like a wave-less ocean."_ If she was being honest it was kind of disconcerting. She felt like a grain of sand in comparison, but she could…she couldn't explain how, but she _knew_ that it wasn't dangerous. Not to them at least.

Overcome by curiosity, she glanced around and saw a fortuitous opening in the conversation she could exploit that might allow her to go out and explore the MedCenter in search of this…whatever it was.

She called out as her father and uncle were setting up for another bout of their staple good-natured teasing. "I want to see! I'll go find them." She said and hopped down from the cot with one last smug look towards Sommer as she went to go off in search of the 'cute nurses'.

Korrah only made it as far as the door when it automatically opened and she suddenly found herself standing face-to-face with a small modestly clothed alien.

A split second passed in which her eyes met his and her mind all but screamed in immediate, shocked recognition.

" _That's Master Yoda!"_

There, standing in front of her – in the flesh – was one of the greatest Jedi Masters that the Galaxy had ever seen. Of course, she did what anyone might do when seeing a legend like the Jedi Master.

She froze.

In the next few seconds, there were several things that she immediately noticed before anything else.

First and foremost, he was short. This didn't exactly surprise her; she had _known_ this about him beforehand. But seeing the truth of it was sending her thoughts tripping over themselves. As she was trying to get around the fact that Master Yoda was _just_ over two feet tall it suddenly dawned on Korrah that she herself was only about four feet tall.

Which meant Yoda barely reached her waist.

" _Hello and happy birthday Napoleon-complex. I've been dreading your arrival."_

The second thing she noticed was…

" _He looks…kind of like a…kappa almost."_

He did! Short, green, kind of frog-like and balding; all he was missing was the small pool of water on his head and such to make the comparison complete.

And finally, she could _feel_ him. Like the residual warmth that comes from standing next close to another person's body. That the strange sensation she'd felt before had been _his_ personal presence! The way he felt to her ' _other_ sense', even though he was just one being in the surrounding galaxy; in comparison to his physical stature, was _massive_ and powerful!

She jolted out of her thoughts and flinched when she felt something _move_ around her. Not threateningly, but…soothing, searching? Kind of. It was like getting wrapped in a light blanket.

She almost gasped and took a step back. _"He- he's the one doing that! He can feel me too!"_ she realized.

Yoda's eyes were still meeting hers. Then he blinked owlishly.

"Hmm, strange this is. Come to know my name how did you, youngling?" His voice was gravely, but not grating.

At his words, Korrah's eyes widened in mute horror. _"Oh, chssk! Did I say that out loud?"_

Her mind was thrown back to the last night and her…'dream-vison-meeting' with the Jedi. _"I must have. He asked a similar question while we were talking."_

He laughed. "Such pleasant surprises the young have to give."

Korrah felt an irrational panic stir within her. _"He has to have remembered that. Or he can he read my mind! Wait, can he? Does he know who I am?"_

Her question was either spot on or completely coincidental as in the next moment, Yoda's gaze seemed to focus, as if he was looking straight into her soul. "If Yoda I am, what name have you?"

Again, Korrah felt an acute sense of déjà vu wash over her at his question and her mind wandered back to her vision – her conversation with – of with him the night before. _"…I'm lost..."_ she almost replied automatically, before she snapped out of whatever funk she'd been in and heat quickly rose up in her face.

Suddenly desiring to be anywhere else than here – and by an ingrained instinct that all children innately possess – she quickly retreated to the nearest 'safe zone'; which meant running back into the room and climbing onto her father's cot to hide behind her mother.

It was extremely childish, but Korrah couldn't bring herself to care.

Yoda didn't seem to mind her actions and slowly walked in behind her with his cane tapping the floor in front of him. He nodded graciously in the direction of both Sommer and Devahin as he reached the middle of the room between their cots and thankfully didn't look at Korrah again. "Peace talks have ended so come to thank you I have. By your actions today, saved many people you did. My own included." He said.

Devahin smiled and dipped his head modestly. "I accept your gratitude, but, we were just doing what we could."

Sommer waved away the thanks in his own way. "Yeah, what he said. It was nothing too grand, really. I'm surprised that we made it out with as little damage as we did." Korrah caught her uncle glance in her direction and realized that he was censoring with he said in front of her again. He looked back down appraisingly at Yoda. "If you'll forgive me saying though, I can't really imagine much that could take you down by surprise, Master Jedi."

Yoda looked up and shook his head. "Many things the Force tells me, and through it sense danger I can, but know everything I do not. Strong am I in the Force, but one day pass on and become one with it I shall. By what means I know not and for what will come in time, in the Force I trust."

Korrah watched the exchange with keen interest as Sommer slowly nodded as if in understanding and her father spoke up to aid him. "Right…we'll take your word for it then. Please, have a seat." Devahin motioned to one of the two chairs that remained free since Savah and Korrah had taken up positons on his bed.

The small Jedi accepted and settled himself up into the seat, looking even more like a muppet to Korrah by how much it dwarfed him.

One of Savah's arms came up around Korrah's shoulders protectively. Looking up at her face, Korrah could see her mother's obviously leery expression at the Jedi's presence and was casting uneasy glances in Devahin's direction for help, but he only rubbed reassuring circles on her hand. It steadied her a little bit, but she looked like she was still trying to think of a reason to ask him to leave.

Fortunately, an excuse was provided for her when Korrah's stomach growled loudly. Once again embarrassed in front of the other room's occupants, she felt her obvious blush heat up her face and she hid instinctively in Savah's shoulder.

Her mother quickly pulled her up into her arms and stood up from her place on Devahin's bed.

"Well, I should really go get some food for Korrah now. Neither of us have eaten much all day and this will give me a chance to show Korrah around the place. That last time we were here, she was so young, barely a year in fact, if I remember correctly." As she rambled on nervously, Korrah peeked over Savah's shoulder and watched as she pushed Korrah's bag under the bed before she grabbed her own with her free arm. She turned to the two men in the room as she edged towards the door. "Is there anything I can get for you two while we're out or are you not allowed to eat anything yet?"

Sommer winced as he made an aborted move that agitated his back and settled for nodding eagerly. "Yes! By Chandra, bring us some real food please!"

Devahin looked at Savah understandingly and nodded as well. "There's a wonderful restaurant not far from the Station that would still serve this late. Just look for the purple Aurebesh sign with a spinning bowl on top and order me their daily special." He said. "And if you just mention Sommer's name, they'll prepare his favorites. He's one of their regulars."

Savah smiled gratefully and turned to leave as the doors opened.

Korrah continued to look over her shoulder and braved looking at Yoda again. Hesitant hazel met kind green one more time as the little alien Jedi sat in the chair by Devahin's bed. She maintained her gaze until the doorway took him out of her field of vision.

Savah didn't put her down as they walked out of the MedCenter in search of a place to eat. The colorful bustle of the city passed Korrah by in a blur as she pondered over what had just happened. And what she feared it would lead to.

Her thoughts always circled back to what Yoda had said in her dream the previous night: _"Follow the path the Force lays before me…meet we will again, if the same path you follow."_

Korrah had her own thoughts on the subject. _"Was it the Force that had orchestrated my path crossing Yoda's? Am I just supposed to go with him? Become a Jedi? Use what I know about the future to save the Galaxy? Is that the path the Force wants me to follow?"_ Indignation stirred within her. _"But what about me…what about what_ _ **I**_ _want?"_

It may have been odd given her level of Force-sensitivity but Korrah hadn't thought about ever becoming a Jedi. After all, her home planet was beautiful and peaceful, her parents were loving and attentive and despite some awkwardness due to the circumstances, she was happy where she was. She'd thought she could just…start over given time. But what about the Galactic Republic?

If she was being honest, she didn't know exactly 'when' she was in the universe (although she had a rough estimate) that she'd previously known by the title of 'Star Wars'. Korrah had read what she could from her father's history books and placed the Seventh Battle of Ruusan at just over nine hundred years ago.

" _And if I did the math correct, then I would be at least sixty when the Naboo Blockade would take place. I'll be old or possibly dead before I could influence anything of relevance or do something to make a difference."_ She had realized.

Hearing about Moric Mothma on the holo-net and recognizing his surname was the first time she'd experienced the truth of her 'fore-knowledge'. However, she didn't have any recollection of the man himself. She'd figured that he may be a relative or the name to be just a coincidence.

The second familiar person she'd come across was Master Yoda, someone who had a much bigger relevance to the overall 'Plot'.

Korrah sighed as her stomach growled again. Trying to think while she was hungry didn't seem to be helping her figure out anything, but they hadn't reached the restaurant yet so she kept trying to distract herself.

" _When I realized how old I would be when things started, I figured I could either get into politics or stay out of them completely. I think I'm smart enough to get far enough so that if I did get involved, I could at least run interference or something from within the Senate someday or keep my head down and find more subtle ways of warning people. I never really considered joining the Jedi Order, though. That would take me away from home, but it would be a more direct way to protect my family as well as others. Yet that still begs the question; is it alright for me to stay safe here when I could be helping millions, if not_ _ **billions**_ _, of people with what I know?"_

It was from these thoughts that her inner conflict began to surface. Like an invisible tether, she felt a pull drawing at her inner core that led back towards the MedCenter to her father's room, but at the same time, the bonds she had formed with her mother, father and uncle held her down. Her loyalty to _her_ family – the family that had sheltered, loved, and protected her all these years – balked at the idea of abandoning them.

" _What about Savah…Devahin…and Sommer? What if in choosing to follow the Force, I have to leave my family behind? I know Savah would fight me going anywhere, but Devahin might…believe the Jedi could…help me is some way with my – increasing abilities from my Force-sensitivity."_

Savah briefly stopped walking to ask someone for directions as Korrah struggled with her concerns. _"I've tried to hide it as much as I can, but these…visions…have been getting worse over the last year. And I haven't been able to shake the feeling for a while that there's something…lurking nearby."_ She thought. _"What if I stay? Would they leave me alone? Or would someone else come for me?"_ Korrah gripped her mother's dress tighter. Savah noticed Korrah's grip on her clothes and patted her back, but carried along unmindful as Korrah tried not to acknowledge her terrible foreboding.

"… _I don't want to go."_ She thought.

She didn't want to give up her place as the 'almost-four-year-old-daughter' of Devahin and Savah Hyymn.

" _I just got it back! I don't want to lose my family again!"_

* * *

Master Yoda watched the young mother and youngling leave the room with great interest and surprise.

Even as they walked away from the room, he could still feel the youngling's immense untrained potential in the Force. He had felt it first as he had walked down the halls of the MedCenter. Upon his move to enter the room as the doors opened, she had taken him off guard; not so much with almost running over him or the utterance of his name (his diminutive size often caused others to overlook him and she could have learned his name from her father), but with the _recognition_ that lit up her eyes and features at the sight of him.

As difficult as human facial expressions could be at times, he had grown adept at the ability over his vast lifespan and Yoda had seen that the little girl had somehow on a deeper level known _who_ he was.

Even in the unlikelihood he had misread her expression, it was broadcasted through her strong Force-signature. After her initial reaction, she had sensed it when he had lightly scanned her signature. He had not meant any harm towards the girl, but in the brief touch on the unseen plane that only Force-sensitives could communicate on, he sadly admitted that he had unintentionally spooked her.

As much as he wished to speak with her, the youngling's quick departure with her mother might have been for the best despite his curiosity. Yoda had felt the unease and fear from Devahin's wife at his presence. He had no desire to antagonize her by asking questions of her child.

" _A sad truth it is, that many in the galaxy still view the Jedi as kidnappers when only seek to guide and nurture we do."_ Yoda lamented.

The aged Jedi Master filed his thoughts on this discovery away for a later time as he reengaged in conversation with Devahin and Sommer Hyymn.

Devahin gave him a slightly apologetic look. "I'm sorry about Savah, she's…never been the most comfortable around what she would consider the- ah,…mystical inclined, I suppose. She didn't mean any offense."

Yoda shook his head. "No offense at all do I take. Understand more than you may think I do. Many fear that which they do not understand and fear it is that prevents the pursuit of understanding." His features shifted into a somber expression. "In this ignorance misunderstandings come about and with it prejudice born through time. Combat this we can only through open minds and the pursuit of knowledge. By this peace is brought."

Devahin laughed. "Is that something that every Jedi believes or are you one of the knowledgeable exceptions?"

Yoda smiled kindly. "When centuries to one's life you have, many things you learn, yes."

The affable atmosphere of the room continued as the three occupants continued in conversation. Ten more minutes had passed before Yoda brought up his observations of Devahin's young daughter.

"Strong in the Force, your daughter is. Far beyond anything I have ever encountered in my many years of life."

Sommer shot a pointed looked at Devahin whose posture shifted slightly. It was not confrontational, but it was protective.

"Thank you for saying so, Master Jedi. Korrah is our only child and our greatest joy. I wouldn't trade anything for her in my life." He declared with a genuine smile.

Yoda nodded. "Of a father, no less would be expected."

Sommer grew pensive for a second before offering a question. "Say, Master Yoda, as a Jedi how would you suggest going about dealing with something like, uh, really bad dreams or seeing the future?"

He received a sharp look from his brother's direction.

"What? It can't hurt to ask, can it?"

Yoda openly expressed his interest in Sommer's question. "Oh? Dreams of the future, you say. Have them often the young Korrah does, hm?"

Devahin sighed but answered truthfully. "Sometimes. Probably more often than I am aware of, much more." He muttered the last part. Devahin didn't feel exactly comfortable speaking about Korrah's gifts, but the elderly Jedi had been nothing but cordial and Sommer what right in a way. If he could learn anything that might help Korrah deal with her dreams, he'd let go of his own apprehension. Korrah was almost too old for the Order's recruiters anyway.

Yoda stroked his chin pensively. "To be gifted in precognition so young, a special one she is. I sense a great destiny your daughter bears."

Devahin paused to consider his words and became slightly more hesitant to continue their dialogue before accepting his statement modestly. "She is special and Savah and I love her more than anything. But all we want, Master Yoda, is for her to grow up happy and safe, no matter what destiny holds for her." His suppressed doubts over his ability to do so surfaced unbidden for a brief moment. "Is there any way she can learn to control them?"

Yoda nodded as he tapped his hand atop his short cane. "Yes. Trained at the Temple she could be, but doubts and reasons to deny this I sense you have."

Devahin's posture was relaxed, but his eyes were serious. "We've always been aware of Korrah's…gifts, but Savah and I decided early on that we would raise and provide for her ourselves." He swallowed thickly. "We…she's our only child."

"Understand I do." Yoda conceded kindly. He closed his eyes as if thinking over something very hard before looking at him again. "If in the future I ask to speak with young Korrah, allow this would you?"

Devahin didn't say anything as he stared down at him appraisingly. Sommer spoke up cautiously from his side of the room. "Hey, listen, Master Jedi. Korrah's not available for any sort of recruitment. She's belongs with her family, understand?"

Yoda bowed his head unassumingly towards the father of the girl in question who still didn't speak in answer. "Only to speak with her I would ask. Deny my request and speak of it no more I shall. Strong in the Force your daughter is and even at my age learn I could from her."

"If I did allow you to speak with Korrah, it would have to be with Savah's approval."

Yoda nodded once more and slowly descended from the too large chair. _"How grow so large humans do I know not. No longer young I am. Smaller and closer to the ground furniture should be."_ He internally gripped. "Understand your hesitance I do. Merely wish to aid how I can. If acceptable a meeting would be, know how to contact me Legislator Mothma does."

With one last farewell from the Hyymn brothers, he exited the room and walked on down the MedCenter hallway alone in his thoughts. _"Meditate on this, I must before act further I do. Clear my path must be. The Force calls through this youngling; that much obvious is. But the path on which the young Korrah Hyymn will walk I cannot yet tell."_

Yoda hummed lowly to himself and his ears dipped slightly as he contemplated what he had seen.

" _Great love and strong attachments members of the Hyymn family share. If lost one or more of these, lead young Korrah to darkness it could I fear."_

His gimmer stick tapped rhythmically in front of him as he exited the MedCenter and entered an air taxi to take him to his lodgings. _"Yes, meditate on this I must, for this youngling, the one which we have been searching for may be."_

* * *

The aftermath of the peace talks was a mixed bag for all those involved. A cease-fire had been called between Garos IV and Sundari which could be labeled as a sign of progress towards peace, and even though Moric remained hopeful, he acknowledged that a single incident would be enough to set hostilities raging between the two planets again.

Sommer recovered from his injuries at a faster pace than Devahin due to sustaining lesser damage although he would be walking with a limp for a few weeks. He had managed to score a date with one of the pretty nurses on staff as he completed his release forms, much to the chagrin of his brother (and niece).

The rest of the Hyymn family traveled home after the events at the Chandrilan House and spent their time together in peace, just enjoying each other's company.

When Devahin had been released from the MedCenter, his ability to move around on his own had been restricted to staying seated in a hover-chair by the medics. While the skin grafts on his leg had taken nicely the medics had wanted to be sure that the muscles in his calf and shin healed correctly. There were some concerns over the slight chance of myopathy (Savah explained to Korrah that was the scientific word for 'muscle death'), but they were no more than a simple reminder about taking caution to report any discomfort or reoccurring pain. Fortunately, maneuvering the stairs was not a problem for Devahin while confined to his chair.

Meanwhile, Jedi Master Yoda stayed several extra days on Chandrila meditating in his quarters. His encounter with the young Korrah Hyymn had ignited a persistent urging by the Force to seek her out again, wordlessly citing her as a being of great importance to the Galaxy.

Yoda sought clearer sight into the vast energy surrounding him, wishing to know better what purpose the young girl's path held, but despite his best efforts, his vision remained clouded.

The Jedi Master's thoughts were slightly troubled over the Force's insistence over the matter. It was obvious through his observations of the girl's parents that they would not be easily persuaded to give their child to the Order. The girl herself was almost too old to be considered for training than was their standard practice, but her immense potential could sway enough members. Combined with the Force's direction, she could not be ignored.

Yoda could passively feel the girl's strong presence in the Force just by reaching out into the Force held by that the planet; it shone like a lighthouse to his senses, drawing his attention over the other dimmer lights that lived here. A short inquiry at the MedCenter (a Mon Calamari doctor had certainly done everything in her power to stonewall him until one of her superiors had been called and intervened on his behalf) had revealed both an answer and a new surprise. The child's midiclorian count was the highest he'd ever come across in a sentient being!

The signs were all there along with the Force's guidance, and as he had been for centuries, Yoda was a follower of the Force and its will.

He would have called upon the Hyymns in a few days, but he would not do them the discourtesy of inviting himself to their home.

" _Wait for them to call on me I will."_

* * *

 _She was dreaming again._

 _The non-descript grey fog was back and lightly pressing in on Korrah from all sides._

 _But she didn't want to go anywhere this time. Korrah was tired and just wanted this dream-vision to end so she could get one night of peaceful sleep or wake up. She heaved an aggravated sigh and started walking in a random direction into the fog._

" _Because that worked so well the last time I was in this kind of situation." She thought._

 _She tried calling out. "Hello! Is anyone here? Master Yoda? Are you going to show up and give me more cryptic advice? Maybe lead me on some kind of vision-quest?" the last part was more mumbled to herself than a serious question, but Korrah thought her chances of getting out of this without some world-shattering 'revelation' were pretty much nil._

" _It's not like having visions of the future is really that great to begin with and it's usually because the visions are almost always depressing or too vague. In fact, pretty much all of mine follow the theme of 'Doom, Death and Destruction'."_

 _The mist started gathering itself together a short distance in front of her and she walked a little faster as she continued her rambling monologue._

" _Oh yeah, and another common theme of visions is that they're generally self-fulfilling. The brand of 'one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it' wisdom Master Oogway would subscribe to. So, ultimately, you would have been better off not knowing anything in the first place. No news is good news," Something loomed up in front of her and she increased her pace to a light jog. The faster she got through this, the faster it would be over. "And for some reason I'm the Galaxy's messenger. Shoot me now."_

 _Korrah passed through the dark, towering cloud bank and found herself immediately blinded by light. When her vision cleared, she recognized that she was now standing in the same huge building that she'd seen briefly before several nights ago. Even the murky figures were there, passing by like ghostly watercolor paintings._

 _It was just a normal hallway with a ceiling seeming as if it could be a hundred feet high and the aesthetics of the place was elegant in a natural, earthy way._

 _Walking forward she followed the sound of running water and entered a room filled with thriving plant life. It was like a jungle; a very well maintained jungle with alien plant life that she'd never seen before. As she pushed forward she found a beautiful waterfall surrounded by hanging vines and emerald green moss and high above her Korrah could see a bridge that spanned over the top of the waterfall. Some of the designs and landscaping reminded her of her – of Laura's – mother-in-law's Zen garden. The tranquility of her surroundings seemed to seep into her, soothing and prompting her to stay and relax._

 _In a bit of a daze, she almost walked right over two murky figures seated near the water, but she only realized they were there when her own form passed through the nearest one. She jumped back in surprise, but it seemed like one of them noticed the disturbance and turned towards her._

 _Deciding that it would be better to leave, Korrah turned and ran out of the indoor garden._

 _She turned several corners and followed a passing group of about a dozen figures into another room at a short distance. They started splitting into pairs with the tallest figure walking around the rest. Korrah focused on the two nearest her and watched as they appeared to begin fighting. The smaller one tripped and fell backwards straight through Korrah's form. He landed as she flinched and moved out of the way, but the small person still turned to face her._

 _However, before she could exit the room and continue exploring, the world was then ripped away violently and she quickly became disoriented._

 _Korrah crouched down and kept still and within a few seconds the mist cleared again. She stood back up and immediately knew where she was this time. She was standing outside her home on Chandrila. The sun was shining, there was a gentle wind brushing by her. It was a beautiful day with nothing seemingly out of the ordinary._

 _Korrah thought back to her short exploration of the building from before. "Just what was that place? And what was the point of seeing it again?" she wondered._

 _After taking in her present surroundings, she slowly approached her house until she was close enough to tell that the front door had been left ajar. She pushed it inwards and entered. The house was still and quiet, but other than that nothing seemed amiss._

" _Mama?" she called softly, "Papa?"_

 _No one answered her._

 _At first she considered the possibility that no one was home, but as she entered the common room Korrah was relieved to see Devahin asleep in his hover chair._

 _Then her eyes fell on a black spot on the back of the hover-chair. It was a small hole about an inch-and-a-half in diameter and on the floor under Devahin's limp hand was a small blaster._

 _Icy fear gripped her. "No!"_

 _Korrah raced around and saw Devahin's chest baring a cauterized wound aligning with the charred hole in the chair. Even as she guessed at what kind of weapon could create such a wound, her mind was denying it with everything it could until she spotted her mother lying on the floor not far from her and Devahin._

 _Or to be more accurate…both halves of her mother were lying on the floor. Korrah's knees almost gave out at the sight and she looked down at Savah's face which was frozen in mute horror. Her eyes were wide open, staring off into nothing._

" _Mama…Savah. No, please, what is this? Who did-?"_

 _Korrah was too shocked to cry and a cold sweat had broken out all over her body. Everything looked too real, felt too real._

" _This is just a dream. It isn't real. Savah and Devahin are alive and asleep in their room. This is just a dream!" she rationalized desperately._

 _Korrah hugged herself and shuddered. "I need to wake up! I need to wake up." She whispered._ _"I can't stay here! There's something wrong with this vision!" She didn't know why, but something about what she was seeing here was different from her previous visons. Everything here felt…sharper, sinister. The walls of her own home seemed more like a cage than a haven._

 _Suddenly she heard something crash upstairs and spun to her left just as a tall, humanoid figure walked out onto the landing at the top of the stairs. It was murky like figures from the building, but pitch black and the air around it was crawling with shadows._

 _Korrah's felt her heart stop in fear when it turned and its attention fell on her._

"… _ **Found you…"**_

 _She couldn't move. The presence of this – this person, thing; whatever they were, was burning cold and it hurt to stand in the same room as him._

 _She dove to the side and grabbed the pistol from the floor and leveled it at the figure descending the stairs, but even as the red plasma bolts struck him, they had no effect!_

 _She whimpered. "This is a dream. It's not real."_

 _Korrah kept pulling the trigger as if possessed. There was nothing else she could do! This person was in her home! He had murdered her parents! If she ran, he'd catch her; if she stayed, he'd reach her!_

"… _ **bring th-…y Master…e pleased…"**_ _the person was speaking as if to themselves and reached the bottom of the stairs._

" _This is a dream! It's not real!" Korrah repeated louder; desperately over and over as panicked tears began to spill over her face._

 _The shadow-clad figure bore down on her with a purpose, coming closer, reaching out towards her as she cried out in terror and in an unthinking move of blind desperation, she turned the pistol back onto herself._

" _There is no spoon!"_

* * *

Korrah gasped and coughed loudly as she woke up fighting her covers and pushing herself into the corner.

The air around her rippled like water and the contents of her room where being whipped about by an invisible, twisting current. She immediately pulled back her panicked emotions, forcing herself to take deep breaths and count back from one hundred by intervals of thirteen.

The air stopped shimmering and her toys, books and clothes returned to the floor in a mess as her breathing slowed. Eventually, she managed to calm herself down, albeit shaken. The events of her dream were still burned in her mind, highly defined and too real to be a randomly conjured.

Korrah numbly registered that she was alone in her bedroom, sitting on her bed. It was still dark, but it was normal darkness. She'd woken up in the middle of the night again, but she had successfully escaped the nightmare.

Normally, Korrah would have simply lay back down and recited whatever haikus she could remember or make them up until she fell back asleep. This time she pushed aside her covers and went to her parent's room.

Quietly approaching the bed, she walked around to the side where Savah was sleeping and gently grabbed her hand. Savah blinked tiredly awake as she shook it and realized she was there.

"Korrah? What is it?" she said sleepily.

She hiccupped. "Bad dream."

Savah smiled at her and moved back on the bed to make room for her.

Korrah climbed in and basked in the encompassing warmth. She hiccupped again and Savah moved her arm under her head, cradling her in a loose embrace.

As Korrah slowly started to relax, she thought back and reviewed what she'd seen in her dream. She realized something terrible that she'd failed to consider.

" _Dammit, that's right! The Sith still exist! What if one of them finds me? They'd kill Savah and Devahin without a thought."_

Something in the air thrummed around her as if in agreement. It didn't disturb Savah, but it confirmed Korrah's fears.

" _They'll find me. And they'll kill anyone around me to get to me."_

But her other vision of Devahin's death had been wrong, hadn't it? Devahin and Savah could still be safe if she told them about what she'd seen, right?

Deep in her heart, however, Korrah knew that she wouldn't be able to risk it.

" _Devahin was still injured and could have died in that incident if not for Master Yoda being there. Whatever that person was…they won't be the same. They're…evil."_

Korrah bit her lip and snuggled closer to Savah's warmth. Unwillingly, several tears slipped out from under her eyelids.

" _I'm scared. I don't want to go!"_

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was a stark contrast to Korrah's night terrors.

The mood was cheerful and content. Savah had gone out of her way to make Chandrilan flatcakes topped with a sweet berry sauce that Korrah couldn't identify, but classified its flavor to be somewhere between strawberry and pineapple. Whatever it was, it was delicious and almost distracted Korrah enough to miss Savah pull Devahin aside and the two of them began to speak in hushed voices in the kitchen adjoining the dinning room.

Korrah guessed correctly that they were probably discussing her night terror from last night – she had yet to explain what she'd seen in detail – but she knew Savah would broach the topic with Devahin over what to do. Whatever else they were speaking of they seemed to be in a disagreement over it.

She finished her food and washed it down with the last of her blue – _why the kriff is it blue? It's so weird! –_ milk and edged closer to the doorway without being noticed.

"…I can't agree to this, Devahin. What if he tries to take her away?"

"That's not what he means to do. So far, all he has done is show an interest in how strong her sensitivity is and has offered to give us some advice for how she can better deal with her dreams. I'm not entirely comfortable with asking either, but this is something we have no expertise in. If he's willing to respect our wish not to give her to the Order then I'm not going to let this kind of chance go, not if it means we can help Korrah."

"And what if that respect changes? Devahin, please, even if he really is as charitable as you believe, what if he goes back and the rest of the Jedi find out about Korrah? They could insist on inducting her." There was a tense pause as Savah take a deep breath. She was obviously trying to keep her nervous emotions from overcoming her. "You know their Order is greatly involved in the Galactic Senate. Who knows how many people in high places they could go to and Korrah…Korrah's just one child out of trillions. Any politician could depict us as preventing her from receiving necessary care and painted as unfit parents."

Korrah peeked around the corner and saw her mother kneeling down in front of Devahin who was gripping Savah's shoulders as she had her face buried in her hands. "Savah, if they tried it wouldn't work and I don't believe the Jedi have that kind of power. Even if they did, the Galaxy hasn't become so depraved as to take a little girl away from her family. The backlash from supporting such a venture would ruin any aspiring political career and no one would risk that."

Savah shook her head and sniffed. "I'm not so confident about that. Not when it's the Jedi they use to fight their wars and settle their disputes for them."

Devahin reached up and took her hands in his, pressing a kiss on her brow. "Love, I didn't mean to upset you with this and if you say no then that will be the end of it. We'll find some other way to help her."

Savah rested her head on his shoulder and muttered something Korrah couldn't hear. She slipped back to the table and came into the kitchen with her dishes as her parent's split apart. Devahin floated by and stroked her hair back as he walked past heading in the direction of his office while Savah pulled herself together and flicked her blonde bangs out of her face resolutely. She gave a warm smile to Korrah and instructed her to fetch her step ladder so she could help store the leftover food.

* * *

Korrah learned later that Devahin and Savah had been discussing whether or not to accept Yoda's aid in helping her manage her visions.

Korrah didn't know what might come out of it, but at the same time she was almost bursting with the need to speak with him about her most recent dream. Just thinking about the haunting figure clad in crawling shadows made creeping ice steal all the warmth from her body.

The Jedi arrived an hour later and was seated in one of the cushioned chairs in the common room. Savah brought out small snacks and refreshments for their guest, ever the gracious hostess, but she still maintained a line of wariness in her frame.

"The last time you dreamt when was this?" Yoda asked Korrah.

"Last night."

The green muppet-like alien hopped down from his chair and approached her. "With permission, see your memories of this vision I would."

Korrah paused for a long moment as she considered the wisdom of letting him do such a thing. He was a Jedi _Grandmaster._ Surely he would be able to tell that something was not… _right_ with her mind. She also had another concern, one which she felt silly asking about, but was completely legitimate. "Does it hurt and how much are you going to look at?"

" _Because I certainly don't want you looking into some very specific places."_

Yoda smiled genially and reassured her easily. "Only that what you saw last night will I search. Do not fear, young Korrah. No discomfort will you feel."

With no other excuses coming forward she nodded her agreement and closed her eyes as Yoda placed one of his hands on her head and felt an odd pull at her core. She sank into a sort of limbo state as whatever he was doing took effect.

Korrah was unaware that Yoda was simultaneously shielding her from her memories of the vision as he reviewed them. He had seen her fear and hesitance in allowing him to see them in this way, but Yoda was proficient enough in this technique to keep any harmful emotions at bay and avoid causing the young girl pain.

He followed the beginning of the vision through until he gazed around in surprise at finding that he recognized the location depicted in Korrah's vision. It was the Jedi Temple! As the vision progressed, Yoda marveled at the accurate details she'd seen of one of his home's most beloved installments; the Room of a Thousand Fountains. With some interest, Yoda watched as Korrah randomly traversed through the room, accidentally stumbling upon a couple of Padawans – no doubt meditating in the peaceful atmosphere – although he was curious about their reactions to coming in contact with young Korrah's vision form.

" _Sense her do they I wonder? Her presence in the Force projected through these visions could be."_

The next encounter with what appeared to be a group of younger Initiates beginning their saber classes seemed to support his budding theory, but he was immediately distracted by the next scene which only served to shock and dismay the old Master. When Korrah came upon the bodies of her murdered parents and the ensuing panicked fueled attack against the unidentifiable intruder, Yoda felt a dark foreboding build at the sight. Through the numerous years of his life, Yoda had seen and encountered many things both wonderful and malevolent. It brought him no comfort to say that he could accurately identify what it was the young girl had experienced.

He withdrew himself from the young girl's mind, removing his clawed hand from her forehead, but his eyes remained closed even as Korrah's blinked open again. "Master Yoda?"

The Jedi Master sighed, the wrinkles on his brow deepening. He looked up and addressed Korrah's parents. "A grave discovery I have made. The presence of another Force user in young Korrah's mind I sense."

"Someone else was inside her mind?" Savah was horrified.

"Some time it has been since encountered a mind attack such as this I have, but recognize it I do. Indirect it was, searching through the Force and found young Korrah by chance. Their attention caught by your daughter's strong potential in the Force it was.

Devahin's posture was stiff, but he ventured a hopeful possibility. "Was it another Jedi?"

This small hope dissolved as Yoda shook his head regretfully. "No. Influence of the Dark Side this is. An attack this was. Would have forced her to reveal her location they would have if brought herself out of the vision young Korrah had not. The identity of the attacker I cannot tell, but clear their intentions are. Search for your daughter they do and desire to secure her for their own purposes."

By this point, both of her parent's faces had lost most of their color. Devahin took it upon himself to try and ask the important question. "Is there any way to prevent these…attacks? I mean, how can we keep her safe if she's being attacked in her _dreams_?"

" _Oh gee, I wonder! How DID they finally kill Freddy Kruger?"_ The random thought was almost enough to make Korrah giggle at the absurdity of it.

Yoda seemed to consider something carefully before answering. "Trained the Jedi are from a young age to identify and guard against such attacks."

Savah jumped up, blonde hair whipping around her head as she shouted at the small Jedi. "So you're just going to take Korrah away?! You'll whisk her off to your offworld Temple and leave us here never to see her again!"

The gimmer stick came down with a sharp 'clack'. Though Yoda's voice did not rise, it hardened and became more clipped. "To bereave you of your child my intention is not! Great danger young Korrah is in if set his sights on her an agent of the Dark Side has." It was slightly reassuring that he seemed to take some offence at Savah's assumption, but Korrah had the misfortune of sympathizing with both parties.

Savah pressed her lips together tightly as Devahin grasped her wrist and gently pulled her back into her seat, whispering something in her ear. She swallowed and wrapped her arms around Korrah as if to shield her, not saying anything more. Devahin pulled back with a deep breath and dove headfirst into asking the questions they'd been avoiding.

"Well, if someone's targeting Korrah what do we do? How can we keep her safe?"

Yoda began pacing back and forth. His face was the picture of deep contemplation.

Devahin and Savah glanced over at each other anxiously until he came to a stop in front of his chair and turned back towards them.

"Stay here she could, or come train at the Temple. Learn to shield her mind, to channel the Force and understand these visions she would. But not easy this is. Many years this takes and even Jedi Masters there are who find difficulty in this. Sympathize with your fears I do, but safer still I believe she would be on Corusaunt."

Korrah spoke up from within her mother's arms. " _Could_ I be a Jedi? I mean…I'm older than what your Order usually takes in, right?"

He paused and stared long and hard at her, but Korrah didn't look away. Yoda hummed again, the cast of his gaze shifted into an emotion that Korrah couldn't decipher. When he finally spoke again he seemed as if he'd figured something out, but didn't yet know how he felt towards it. "Young you are, but old in mind and spirit I sense. Knowledge you carry…a deep sorrow. The Force is strong with you, youngling, yet also strong your attachment to family is."

"And if I were to choose to go to the Jedi, would I be forced to let go of this attachment?" she asked.

Yoda walked back to the chair and settled down. "Force one to give up attachments or offspring the Jedi do not. But it is for good reasons the Code discourages attachment. Loss and grief lead many to the Dark Side. Learn to let go we do and to control our emotions we must."

Korrah raised an eyebrow in question. _"Good reasons or good intentions?"_ She thought, unable to help but take this kind of explanation without a pinch of salt. _"Especially when the majority of your Order's recruits are taken in from infancy. There's very little choice given to any of them when their literally raised to believe only one mindset. There's also a difference between self-control and systematically purging yourself of emotions."_

"I could never stop loving my parents or uncle." She continued and felt her mother shift behind her.

"In knowing this, still choose the life of a Jedi, would you?"

Korrah stopped and thought long and hard over his question.

"I don't want to go." She confessed suddenly, softly. "I would be a terrible Jedi, or at least a very unorthodox one; and I will always love my family," She looked back up at him. "But I supposed to go with you."

Savah tensed up. "Korrah-"

"I can feel it." the young girl said and locked eyes with the Jedi Master. "You can feel it too, can't you? It's here right now; the Force… it's telling me to go with you. Even though it means I have to leave behind my family." She stared Yoda desperately in his eyes. "What does the Force want with me? _Why_ am I here?" she solicited desperately.

" _Why did I lose everything I ever loved only to lose it_ _all_ _over_ _again_ _, here and now?"_

"Why do I see things? These terrible things, all the time when I don't want to." She confessed. Korrah took a deep breath to steady herself. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk?

Yoda stood back up and approached her slowly. He softly laid a hand on her and looked up encouraging at her. "A great to amount of pain you feel for what you have seen. Many more visions have you had that much suffering have caused you?" Korrah swallowed and nodded.

The Jedi steeple his clawed fingers over the top of his cane. "Share this burden with you I would."

It puzzled Korrah over the difficulty of deciding whether or not to share this. She'd never told anyone the details of the vast majority of her visions. It was less painful just to deny and not think about the…nastier ones. Nevertheless, Korrah pushed back her shoulders and tried not to avert her eyes as she spoke truthfully. Slowly, yet gaining confidence until it felt as though she couldn't stop.

"There's one that keeps coming back. I see children. They were dressed in odd robes, like yours." She reminded herself that Jedi clothing was exclusive to those who lived in the Temple. "They were in a circular room with twelve chairs of different sizes and were hiding behind them. There were floor-length windows all around the room and I could see the outside…I think it was the top of a tower."

Yoda had gone disturbingly still. She pressed on. "They didn't move until the door opened and a tall figure, an adult human, I think, dressed in similar dark clothes entered the room. The children came out then and one of them, a boy, ran up to the person and spoke to them, but…they…th-they didn't say anything, the person just…drew their lightsaber and…then…killed them." There were tears were falling freely down her face now. "All of them. The adults…the teenagers and children…even the infants. Everyone died."

There was a strange, slow chill that was overtaking her body even as Savah's arms enveloping her and pulled her close. Korrah wondered why it was only now finally dawning on her that this-what she had seen before, believed as only a story could –would?– happen in such a way. Her soul echoed in her own personal grief. The one that still haunted her true nightmares.

" _The boys! Where are my kids?! Are they safe? Alan is screaming-"_

Korrah tore her mind away from those memories and refocused herself, locking eyes with Master Yoda again. She felt raw and strained inside and she wanted someone else to feel it; to acknowledge the pain that she'd been keeping hidden inside these past few years, to reaffirm to her that it was real.

" _I've been suffering my loss in silence for all this time, keeping myself sane by indulging in this new family I've been blessed with. Savah and Devahin have loved and supported me unconditionally and I don't think that would change even if they did know the truth about me. But what if the person targeting me really does kill them to get to me? Could I live with that?"_

Yoda seemed as if he was made of stone at this point and the atmosphere of the room was oppressively heavy, quickly nearing the point of suffocating.

"Would I really be safer with the Order? If I leave would I save my parents only to endanger everyone at your Temple?" she finished.

No one spoke and Yoda remained completely still. Savah's hand came up in front of her field of vision to wipe her face. Korrah hadn't realized she was still crying.

" _Why am I so affected by this? Why is it suddenly all real now?"_ Questions clouded her mind and she leaned into Savah. She didn't resist when the older woman picked her up and quietly took her upstairs to her room.

Once again, Korrah found herself being held in Savah's comforting, motherly embrace as she sat in the hovering rocking chair and hummed a lullaby to her.

" _Maybe…even though it's been over a year since I remembered everything, I'm still grieving."_ She thought distantly. The rocking motions and Savah's gentle tones lulled her into a comfortable haze.

" _I don't want to go. I'm scared."_ She gripped Savah's sleeve tighter and buried her face in the fabric of the woman's tunic. _"But…I don't think I can stay."_

She sat up and looked at Savah. "Mama, I'm going to go with Master Yoda…and I'm going to become a Jedi."

* * *

Downstairs, Devahin expressed that he and his wife would think hard over their options and contact the Jedi Master when they had decided.

Yoda accepted this humbly. "As you wish. Many things I have learned tonight. Meditate long on this, I will."

The young man opposite him bowed from the waist – seated in his hoverchair as he was – to the Jedi. "Thank you for your time and…help." Devahin escorted him to the door. "I'll call you in the morning about- about what we decide."

With one last bow Yoda departed his home. "May the Force be with you."

Devahin shut the door behind him and then glided up the stairs to join his wife and daughter in the latter's bedroom. As he entered he found Savah trying to talk Korrah out of deciding to leave and become a Jedi; explaining what it would mean. Devahin stopped next to her at the bed, but didn't say anything. Korrah was obviously remaining firm in her decision in spite of her mother's increasingly desperate pleas for her to reconsider.

It was strange, watching his daughter speak so calmly to her mother. She seemed so grown up sitting there, determined and strong.

"You're not losing me, Mama. I'll come back. It…may be a long time. Years even, but…don't ever believe that I'll ever forget you. And someday I'll see you both again. I promise." She reassured them.

Savah didn't say anything more after that and just pulled her into a tight embrace. Devahin came close and hugged them both as best he could from his chair, as if he could hold his family together with his own strength.

He thought back to that day when he saw his little girl through the Infant Ward window after she'd been born and his joy of becoming a father.

" _I never thought it could hurt this much…or go by so fast. But if I can't protect her, I can at least make sure that she's protected by others who can."_

* * *

She must have dozed off because in the next moment Korrah was tucked into her bed. The early morning was just starting to the lighten the shadows of her room and she quickly tiptoed to the top of the stairs. She descended silently, skipping the fourth stair that creaked loudly, until she reached to bottom. Korrah halted her progress there where she could see her parents through a small space between doorways, sitting at the dinner table close together. Devahin's arm was around Savah's trembling shoulders. Both were still wearing the same clothes from the day before.

" _They must have been up all night."_ She thought. Guilt coiled in the bottom of her stomach and she returned to her room.

Going through her things, she pulled forth a holo-recorder and her personal datapad. After making a quick copy of all the data on the devices to two data chips and pocketing them, she placed the datapad ostentatiously on top of her dresser and activated the holo-recorder, taking care not to speak too loud.

"Mama, Papa…I don't want to start this by saying I'm sorry, but it's still true that I feel regret over my decision to go to the Jedi Order. You have both given me so much, the most important and precious things that you don't even know about. You've loved me beyond all reason, cared and protected me with everything you have and no child could have asked for better people to be their parents. I love you both so much. Please don't ever forget that I'll always be thinking of you. Even though it was only for a few years, you taught me things that I have now doubt will carry on through the rest of my life. The Jedi Order may discourage attachment, even love, but I disagree and believe that this is an outdated way of thinking. On a more personal note, thank you. For everything. I also want you to know that I have a bunch of songs recorded on this as well as lyrics to other songs on my datapad. I hope…I hope they can bring you some comfort, I know it's not much. I love you and I promise, we'll see each other again. And Papa, try playing the twelfth song first and keep a napkin nearby. It's a special song." Korrah paused before ending the new recording. "See you again…someday. I love you."

The light from the recorder dimmed and went out, leaving her in the dark. She placed it next to the datapad on her dresser and wrote a short note on a sheet of flimsy and left it on top of it.

For the next few hours Korrah just sat on her bed and took in every detail she could of her room. There was movement from outside her door which finally opened and showed Devahin as he entered and escorted her downstairs.

Savah wasn't there. She had probably returned to their bedroom and intended to confine herself inside. It hurt slightly, but Korrah understood why she'd avoid seeing her leave. In a bittersweet way, it would make this a little bit easier. Devahin had already called Master Yoda and explained what had been decided. The Jedi had agreed to meet them at the spaceport docks after breakfast, which was a silent and somber affair.

The speeder ride to the Offworld Spaceport was equally as subdued. Master Yoda was waiting for them outside the port with very few belongings aside from a small bag. The three of them walked amid the crowds until they reached the docking bay areas that were restricted to all but passengers. It was here Devahin stopped his chair and cradled Korrah's face in his large hand. His warm, brown eyes searched hers for any kind of doubt or second-guessing. "Are you sure about this, Korrah?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

He sighed in resignation and hugged her one last time. Korrah swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her head to whisper in his ear as she hugged back. "I left a message for you on my holo-recorder next to my datapad back home. It would have taken too long to say it here. Sorry."

Devahin shook his head with a sad smile, kissed her forehead whispering "I love you" as he drew back. Yoda approached them.

"Come young Korrah. Boarding soon we will be."

Korrah made one last wave goodbye as she walked through the busy throngs of people and passed through the doors that lead to the departure docks.

"Strong sadness I can sense you feel. Yet determined and willing to leave behind your family you are?" Yoda asked her. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Great bravery you have for one so young, Korrah Hyymn."

She shrugged. "Everyone grows up someday, Master Yoda. At some point, we have to choose which path we will walk." She said and looked ahead. "The Force will guide us."

" _It still sounds weird to say that out loud."_

A knowing sparkle entered Yoda's eyes as his smile widened.

The platform speakers began broadcasting departure times and dock numbers for the outbound flights. Yoda shuffled forward to the boarding terminal. Korrah squared her shoulders, choking back wayward tears and let loose a deep breath before following closely behind.

" _On to the next adventure."_

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of the origin story arc. Onward to more excitement! Everything is progressing along very nicely according to the outline I have and we'll be seeing some more interaction with familiar and original characters.  
**

 **Thank you for reading this (slightly) belated Christmas gift! And once again, Merry Christmas!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6: Youngling

**First and foremost, I apologize for the extended wait, but a new semester has started and as always, real life and schoolwork shall take priority over indulgence. Of course, now with everything in regards to that currently taken care of, I present to you the next chapter of 'Anomaly'!**

 **We will be seeing some new and familiar faces within this chapter. Please keep in mind that I've had this story planned from the very beginning. With that said, I hope it does not disappoint.**

 **A very happy 'thank you' to Duck9002 for editing.**

 **And, of course, a disclaimer stating that I don't own Star Wars. Things would've been so much different if I did. (Oh well.)**

* * *

Chapter 6: Youngling

As it would turn out, the newest adventure Korrah experienced came sooner than she expected.

Heaving up the last of her stomach's contents into a bucket, she stifled a groan. Master Yoda's hand was placed comfortingly on her shoulder as she tried to breathe properly.

"Deep breaths you must take. Pass in time this discomfort will." He assuaged.

Korrah peeked up at him pathetically. "How…how long until we reach Coruscant?" she pleaded.

Yoda had the decency to look apologetic. "Two more days this journey will take, I'm afraid."

Korrah released a tortured whimper this time and dropped her head onto the bucket rim. It was in this moment that Korrah Hyymn developed a lifetime distaste for the _wonders_ of space-travel.

Fortunately, the droid captain was alerted to her predicament and provided a complimentary packet of space-sickness tablets. The medicine thankfully calmed her rolling gut and alleviated the horrible dizziness and headache, but not enough to allow her to sleep.

Korrah spent the rest of the trip in a fitful state of infirmity trying to keep her mind occupied on anything other than her body's rebellion against motion. Her thoughts were successfully distracted when they turned towards how odd her situation was. Despite having been reborn into a galaxy where traveling through space from one planet to the next would be considered as mundane as a trip to the beach, with thousands of worlds to choose from, Korrah had never set foot off of Chandrila. A lifetime's worth of memories of living solely on one planet had never caused this to bother her or crossed her mind as unusual. Especially since her physical child-like stature did not permit her to simply go out and find ways to explore on her own. This had admittedly left her unprepared for some of the realities of her first experience in jumping into light speed.

Korrah had never considered the possibility that she would easily get space-sick. Motion sickness had never been an affliction she'd suffered in her last life, but nevertheless Korrah spent the next two days of space-travel suffering from minimal sleep and feeling absolutely miserable despite Yoda's sympathetic support.

When it was finally over, the young girl almost cried in relief as the shuttle landed at their destination on Coruscant. She swayed unsteadily on her feet as they got off their transport and immediately bolted for the nearest public fresher. She spent twenty minutes kneeling over a toilet before her stomach stopped rebelling, her balance returned and she finally got the anxious trembling of her body under control.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Korrah opened the door and saw Yoda standing patiently by, waiting just outside of the public fresher near the docks of Coruscanti spaceport they'd arrived from. He greeted the pale-faced girl as she exited and dipped her head in apology towards the green skinned Jedi Master.

"I'm…sorry for running off like that, Master Yoda. I still just…wasn't feeling well."

He raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her. "No fault have you, young Korrah, but surprised me when run you did. Neglected to mention your first time experiencing space travel this was." He smiled. "Not what you expected, hm?"

Korrah averted her eyes to the side. "…yes." Her face regained some color as she blushed in embarrassment.

Yoda simply laughed and motioned for her to follow him. "Come, youngling. Perhaps release your fear of flying as we approach the Temple you will, hm?"

Korrah readjusted her pack and heaved a deep sigh. She was tired and hungry, but didn't dare think about food. She easily fell into step next to Master Yoda's short strides. "It's not flying that I'm afraid of, Master Yoda, it…it was the jump to light speed that started the whole…space-travel thing and it caught me off guard. I, uh…I mean, if you think about it space is a vacuum and my mind just reasoned…traveling through it isn't safe and I just kind of…um, panicked, sort of, I guess." She finally stopped talking too embarrassed to continue trying to reason away her discomfort.

Yoda just chuckled. "Fear not young Korrah. In time, learn to conquer such things we all do."

They left the spaceport and boarded a hovering bus that was supposedly to transport them to the Jedi Temple that was located on the planet. Korrah looked around herself at the other passengers who were boarding as she and Master Yoda took up two seats in the middling rows.

" _Do the Jedi always take public transportations or is it just Yoda?"_ She wondered. _"I would have thought that they'd have their own ways of transportation…but that could've been something that only came about during the Clone War when they were leading armies."_

As the bus took off into the sky, she almost turned to ask Yoda about her thoughts – as well as more information about the Jedi Temple in general – but was distracted as her eye caught the view passing outside her window.

She'd missed viewing the planet's surface from space due to her ailment, but nothing from her imagination prepared her for the reality of a new world up close. It was so different from her homeworld, which emphasized the balance and harmony of their planet's ecosystem and civilization even within her lessons at Daycare. Back home, every Chandrilan household had some natural feature such as a fish pond, insect hive, flower garden or the like.

But this planet was a shining metropolis sprawling everywhere she looked! Some of the buildings and locations here put her memories of the Chandrilan House to shame. Everything around her seemed impossibly tall, stretching up towards the planet's atmosphere. Humans and aliens of all kinds, shapes, colors, and sizes walked the streets. She didn't even know half of the names of some of the species she witnessed pass her by.

" _Over a trillion people from all over the galaxy live here…no wonder the whole planet would look like this!"_ She thought awestruck.

Her sightseeing was ended as the hovering vehicle pulled to a smooth stop in front of their destination. Taking in the view, it was without a doubt the largest building she had ever seen. Even the Burj Khalifa would have been dwarfed half over again by just one of the Temple's shorter spires.

" _This is where I'm going to live now?"_ she thought as she stood in the gargantuan shadow of the place. Suddenly, her decision to come here became a lot more daunting than it had originally been. Doubts began to creep into her mind. Memories and past visions of what would come in the future dominated her thoughts.

" _What was I thinking? Why did I think this was a good idea? Savah and Devahin are probably out of their minds with worry by now…especially Savah."_ A cold thread of fear had settled in her stomach. " _Will they be safe now?"_

Because that was the whole point of her being here wasn't it? To keep her family safe.

But could she really change anything? Was it right to come here? And just what was her goal in all this? So many things could go wrong! The threat to her parents was…reduced now that she was no longer on Chandrila, but that only brought so much comfort.

And what _did_ she hope to accomplish by being a Jedi? Sure, the powers and abilities were, admittedly, pretty cool, going out and helping the people of the galaxy a worthwhile occupation, but the Jedi themselves were a flawed organization. Sure, one made up of good people with good intentions, if one ignored that those same intentions eventually led them to fighting in a puppet-war that ended in their destruction. Did she think she could…prevent that? Somehow?

Maybe that was why she was starting to panic. Now standing here staring with the sudden realization that she honest to God (or was it the Force now?) did _not_ have a plan. She'd acted out of her desire to protect her parents and prevent their deaths, yes – and something told her that she might have succeeded – but that left everything else about her future unknown.

And to top it all off…she didn't _really_ want to be a Jedi.

No…that wasn't right.

She had the ability…and…the knowledge to change things. As a Jedi she could learn how to fight if necessary to protect the people she cared about but…at the same time, she didn't want any of the _responsibility_ because anything that happens from here on would be _her fault_.

Even if she told Master Yoda everything she knew, about Anakin, Palpatine, the future, one misstep and everything could go straight to hell. This was reality – people could _die_ who had lived and vice versa. How could she possibly deal with this?

The tapping of Yoda's gimmer cane settled next to her. "Heavy your mind and thoughts are I sense, young Korrah."

Korrah sighed heavily, trying to push down the swell of internal conflict. "It's nothing, really Master Yoda. I guess…everything's starting to settle in now. This is really real."

She could fee Yoda whose gaze on her searching, seeing straight through her it seemed.

"Much confusion, conflict and sadness I sense in you. Fear for your parents you hold within yourself. A hard choice you made to leave them behind you did, but led here by the Force you were. Many things we learn from the Force. It surrounds us, flows through us, binds us together. What is it you hope to learn?"

Korrah fiddled with the straps of her bag. She thought hard on her answer. "Purpose…I guess? I want to know why I am…the way I am."

Because of all her questions _that_ was certainly a one for the ages. _How_ exactly did this…'reincarnation' thing work? Serendipitous accident? Cosmic chance? And why _her_?What was the point?

Yoda poked her with his cane and walked forward. "No such thing as coincident there is, youngling. Trust that a path the Force has for you, you must. With time and patience, the answers you seek, revealed to you that path will be." He gestured her towards the Temple. "Come. A long journey we have had and wish to rest within my own quarters I do. Caring for space-sick younglings, exhausting it is, hm."

Korrah felt a smile creep onto her face. She breathed out slowly, reaching out with her mind and tugged on that foreign part of herself that was connected to the Force and felt a faint nudge, encouraging her forward. The young girl followed behind the Jedi Master with a new resolve starting to take root in her.

If this was how it was going to be, then she'd be a Jedi. However, she already knew that she didn't want to be a _normal_ Jedi. One who followed the Jedi Code, banished her emotions and swore off all attachment. She was already too 'old' for that.

She simply wanted to do what was right.

She wanted…she wanted to change things.

And it seemed that the universe – or the Force, whatever was in charge in this case – had orchestrated her path to coincide with that of the Jedi Order.

No need to panic. She had time to plan.

* * *

If the exterior of the Jedi Temple was a testament of size, then the interior was an ode to beauty. Laura had visited many places around Earth, but the Jedi Temple was unlike any of them.

Korrah followed Master Yoda up the lifts until they arrived at an upper level of the Temple that had a noticeably higher number of younger inhabitants.

" _Must be the Initiate dorms or the crèche."_ Korrah thought as she watched an older Jedi herding a group of children through the hall.

Yoda walked steadily towards one Jedi in particular, tapping his can on the floor a bit louder to gain their attention. Korrah couldn't place the alien crèche Master's race or gender but their voice was distinctly feminine in its higher pitch.

"Ah Master Yoda, it is good to see you safely back. Is this the youngling you mentioned might be with you?"

He nodded to the newcomer. "Correct you are, Master A'kam. Korrah Hyymn she is named."

Yoda turned and introduced the furry alien dressed in long Jedi robes to his wide-eyed, small companion. "Jedi Master Yshre A'kam this is, young Korrah." He said. "Go now I must. Return to my duties and speak with the Council I will."

Korrah nodded in mute understanding and with one last comforting look, Yoda departed, walking off down the hall and leaving Korrah with Master A'kam. The young girl watched him go until he disappeared from view along with the sound of his gimmer stick before she turned back and stared up at the new person in front of her. Master A'kam had an aura of kindness that radiated from her, easing Korrah's nervousness, instinctively feeling that she could trust this person.

Master A'kam bowed to her. "Welcome, Korrah. We're very happy to have you join us today. I'm one of the caretakers for the Heliost Clan, your new Jedi family."

Korrah resisted the urge to squirm uncomfortably at the mention of 'family'. "Um, thank you…Master A'kam. My name's Korrah Hyymn." She repeated and bowed back politely. She continued to stare at the furry alien, trying to figure out which animal she resembled the most. "Pardon me for asking, but what are you?" she asked.

The female Jedi seemed to smile at her and offered her three-fingered hand. "I am a Caamasi, Korrah. Have you never seen one before?"

Korrah shook her head, but took her hand willingly enough. Master A'kam gestured down the hallway. "Come with me and I'll take you to where we will meet your Clanmates."

The young girl stared at the three clawed digits with slight wonder at how it fit around her own smaller fingers. As they walked down the halls together, Korrah's mind slowly identified her surroundings, blown away when she realized she had seen some of the hallways in her dreams before.

Her thoughts drifted back towards her parents again and to her possible vision of their deaths. A wave of loneliness and homesickness washed over her, but she pushed it away.

" _Stay positive."_ Korrah reprimanded herself.

She studied her new Crèche Master a bit more. Master A'kam's physical features seemed to bear a resemblance to that of a Madagascar lemur. Her head and face were covered in soft, downy grey fur with three thick, vertical black stripes crowning her head. There were also a pair of smaller black strips – denoting eyebrows – lower on her face and thick black rings around her gold-colored eyes that were completely alien to her senses.

Not evil, certainly, but kind in their open gaze. The feature that broke from the familiarity of Korrah's comparison was Master A'kam's furless snout which was closer in appearance to the large beak of a bird. When she'd spoken to her, Korrah had seen small sharp teeth inside, so the avian comparison ended there.

"Master Yoda mentioned in his message that you were born on Chandrila. Such a lovely planet, wouldn't you agree, Korrah?"

Her attention was brought back to the present at Master A'kam's question.

She smiled. "Yeah, Chandrila's a wonderful place to live. It was just me, Mama and Papa, and our home was almost two days away from the sea! We went there for Papa's birthday this year and it was beautiful. Uncle Sommer, Papa's brother, comes by our house a few times a year when he had time. He gave me a pet squall one time, named Wabbit, but after I fell in the fish pond while chasing it, Mama decided to give him away."

Korrah rambled on about her home and family as A'kam listened. They entered a large room containing about a dozen children of all kinds of races, some of which Korrah knew such as a blue Twi'lek girl and Zabrak boy with tan skin.

Master A'kam looked like she was about to call all of their attention to the front of the room, but a loud argument broke out between two of the children in a far corner with a third trying to mitigate just as she and Korrah entered. The Caamasi Master sighed and placed a hand on her new charge's back to give her a gentle push. "Go on and meet someone, Korrah. It's almost time for noontide meal so you'll be able to introduce yourself properly to everyone then."

The newly instated Jedi Crècheling nodded in acknowledgement and the Jedi Master walked off to deal with the disturbance.

Feeling curious pairs of eyes on her, Korrah looked around, but all of the children averted their gaze before she could meet any of them.

" _Oh boy, it's Daycare all over again."_ She thought, a resigned sense of dejection settling over her mood.

Then she spied a small Iktotchi boy in one of the corners looking over at her curiously. She smiled at him as was reassured when he gave a smile back, waving shyly. She took that as permission to walk over to him and sit down.

"Hi. My name's Korrah Hyymn and I'm four years old. What's yours?" Best to start off simple and non-threatening.

The boy averted his eyes and Korrah could feel her long lost teacher-instincts kick-start in recognition.

" _One of the shy ones."_ she thought.

"M'name's Roloh Vaah." He said softly. "M'almost fou' too."

It was kind of hard to hear him, but her heart gave a sentimental 'aww' at his bashful response.

She noticed that he was twisting a white feather around in his hands and pointed at it, curious.

"What's that for?" she asked.

He stopped twisting it around and held it out for her to see and she was once again, mildly fascinated by the fact that he only had four small, thick fingers on his hand. Probably a feature of his species.

"It's fo' a game we play all the time. We're supposed to lift it. Wiff the Force."

He was still speaking very softly, making it a little difficult to understand him, but Korrah managed and carried on encouragingly.

"You like to play?" she asked.

Roloh nodded, shyness receding slightly, and focused his attention to the feather in his hand. Korrah could see his breathing even out into steady, measured breaths and the feather moved five, six then eight inches off of his hand before it floated back down into his palm. His concentration broke and he looked down sullenly. "I can't do it very well yet." He confessed.

Korrah stared at him for a second before smiling again and reaching for the feather. "That was great though! I haven't tried lifting a feather before." – Which _was_ true – "Would you can teach me how to play? We can practice together."

He looked up surprised. "You sure?"

Korrah shrugged. "Of course."

The look on Roloh's face make Korrah feel like she had just earned a friend for life.

The two of them were suddenly joined in the corner by another person. One of the older human boys, probably nine or ten years old judging by his height; he was easily the tallest child in the Clan that Korrah could see. His short brown hair brushed into his blue eyes as he bowed politely before plopping himself down between Korrah and Roloh, forming a loose triangle, as casual as if they already knew each other.

"Hello! Master A'kam said you're our new Clan member?" he asked.

Korrah nodded. "Yes. My name's Korrah Hyymn."

The boy gave a wide smile. "My name's Qui-Gon. You'll definitely like it here. The Heliost Clan is the best!" he declared.

Shock. Korrah's jaw dropped, completely stunned, and in the back of her mind she knew that she had to look ridiculous as she raised a finger and pointed into the boy's face interrupting what he was going to say next.

"Wait, you're…your name's Qui-Gon Jinn?"

He blinked confused.

It was adorable.

"Huh? How'd you know my last name was Jinn? I didn't tell you that." The boy's – _Qui-Gon Jinn's_ – face suddenly lit up in realization. "Oh, you have visions, don't you? That's how you knew my name, isn't it?"

Korrah felt any answer die on her tongue. The world around her had stopped making sense. The boy in front of her couldn't be Qui-Gon Jinn!

…Well, actually he _could_ , the timeline certainly fit now that she thought about it, but Korrah hadn't been expecting this at all! _Qui-Gon Jinn_ was her crèche-mate?! She was quickly losing control of her astonishment at this sudden turn of events.

"But-…but, you're supposed to be _old!_ "

The confession slipped out before she could stop it. She had also unintentionally raised her voice when she'd spoke and several of the other children started glancing over in their direction and giggling at her declaration. The affronted look that came over Qui-Gon's face was probably just as amusing as well.

"I'm not old!" he defended. "I'm just tall. But I will be eight soon." He puffed out his chest proudly at this in a way only an…almost eight year old could.

He was _way_ too adorable to be the badass Maverick Jedi Master from her memories!

Korrah's tongue and mind were still out of sync so she was reduced to babbling as her thoughts tried their hardest to keep up. "No! I mean-…you were old when I saw you, I mean, when-…vision, yeah, I had a vision of you and-…you _were_ old! Like sixty-something!" her finger was still in his face, making him go slightly cross-eyed, and her breathing increased. "With reeeaaally long hair and-and a _really_ scruffy-looking beard!"

Qui-Gon's eyes widened. " _Scruffy-looking!_ " he exclaimed, offended.

The other children nearby burst out into open laughter at him as their little 'argument' continued.

He cast them a sour look before ignoring them. "I do not look scruffy." His hand ran through his hair self-consciously.

Korrah threw up her arms helplessly. "Well you did when I saw you!"

She felt a soft tug on her sleeve, distracting her, and looked over to see Roloh shyly pinching the fabric and holding out the forgotten feather.

"Um…do you still want to play?" he asked.

Guilt pooled in her gut and she smiled at him again, hoping to reassure the young Iktotchi boy. However, Qui-Gon beat her to answering his question. "Hey yeah, Lift-Feather is really fun! You know, if you're good enough at it we can play with a ball." He seemed to have thankfully already forgotten about their previous 'argument' in the face of a game and looked expectantly for her to join.

Roloh looked down and away muttering. "…I can't lift the ball."

Korrah shrugged and patted the Iktotchi boy's small shoulder. "We'll just use the feather for now. I'm new to this game, remember?" She looked between the two boys. "So…I guess this means we're friends now." She ventured cautiously.

Little Roloh smiled hopefully as Qui-Gon blinked and nodded. "Huh, okay, sure. But only as long as you don't call me scruffy-looking again."

So he hadn't forgotten then.

She lifted the feather in front of his face and donned her sagest expression as she looked him dead in the eye. "It will happen, Qui-Gon Jinn. Mark my words."

He took the feather from her and laughed. "As if!"

* * *

Korrah was introduced to the rest of the Heliost Clan just before they were all rounded up and escorted to Noontide meal. It was a communal affair with all of the young children in the crèche herded down into a public cafeteria within the Temple and seated at low tables that seemed designed for their specifically small size.

Korrah was thrilled that she'd managed to make two friends on her first day since arriving at the Temple. Even if her first impression hadn't gone very smoothly, Qui-Gon was a friendly and easy-going kid. And while his interest in her visions had quickly died down, he had shown some curiosity in what she had seen of him.

Roloh Vaah, on the other hand, was a quiet and shy youngling who had latched himself onto her side since she first sat down with him and wasn't showing any indication of letting go anytime soon.

Meeting Qui-Gon had caught Korrah completely off guard and initially thrown her mind into freaking loops. While she was still trying to figure out what sort of implication befriending the future Jedi Maverick could bring, she couldn't in all honesty think of any reason doing so would be a bad thing.

Korrah had started to gain of sense of maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. It might be the fact that she was surrounded by people who were Force-sensitive like her, regardless of age, that was giving her this sense of belonging, but Korrah found herself surprisingly happy; enjoying herself even. All of her worrying over her parents and the imminent future was soon set aside as she indulged in another 'debate' with her new found and future-Maverick friend.

"Huh? Of course it's blue. Why would bantha milk be anything other than blue?" Qui-Gon asked.

Korrah stared into her cup as if inspecting a previously unknown substance. "That's what I want know, out of all the colors, _why_ did it have to be blue?"

Qui-Gon had the audacity to roll his eyes. "You're being silly. Milk's just the color blue. It's always been blue. Are you going to eat your tubers?" he asked but Korrah persisted.

"No, you don't understand! To my mind, milk is supposed to be white, so for it to be blue, then there must be some kind of additive in the milk. Food coloring or nutrient supplements or something." She insisted.

"White milk? What kind of animal gives white milk?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Cows." Korrah stated like it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy, remembering the animals she'd known on Earth.

Qui-Gon's face scrunched up in confusion, ignorant of his friend's private thoughts. "Yes, exactly, farmers get milk from bantha cows and when it comes out its blue."

"But why does it come out _blue_?" she reiterated.

"I don't know!" he confessed, throwing his hands up in an exasperated manner similar to how she had before.

Korrah stared back into her drink. _"One of life's unanswered mysteries."_ She thought and idly came up with another question. "Maybe the farmers feed the bantha berries that contain blue juice. So then, if someone fed a bantha chocolate, would we get chocolate bantha milk? And then it would be colored brown." She mused aloud.

She knew she was being ridiculous at this point, but she was having way too much fun just acting like a curious four-year-old to care.

Plus the look on Qui-Gon's face right now was absolutely hilarious. She felt kind of bad messing with the kid as he was obviously torn between rolling his eyes again or seriously considering the possibility of her logic with the gullible naiveté only a child could have.

Roloh piped up from his seat on her right. "What's chocolate?"

Korrah put a hand on his shoulder. "God sent manna from Heaven." She replied seriously before noticing her other new friend's subtle actions beside her and rounding back to Qui-Gon. "Hey! Leave my tubers alone! You already ate yours!"

Master A'kam came over as she grappled with the miniature future-Maverick for the filched piece of food before he could shove it into his mouth.

"Younglings, control yourselves." She admonished and the two quickly righted themselves in their seats.

Korrah raised her hand as if she were in class. "Master, I have a question about the food."

She looked down at her as she rested his hands into his wide sleeves. "Yes, Korrah what is it?"

She pointed to her cup. "Why is milk blue?"

The blank look and awkward pause she received as the Caamasi Jedi blinked back at her was all the answer she needed. Qui-Gon dropped his head down on the table as Korrah and Roloh tried to restrain their giggles.

" _This I could get used to."_

* * *

Life in the Temple became routine for the Chandrilan-born girl. Her birthday passed with a melancholy atmosphere and thoughts of her parents were heavy on her mind, but even that had become easier to dissipate with each new day.

Korrah found out that at four standard years old, the senior members of the Order classified her as a 'Jedi Youngling'. She was still too young to be called a 'Jedi Initiate' and wouldn't be officially until she took her Initiate Trials, which were traditionally attempted at age of eight or nine. If she passed, then she'd be moved out of the crèche and into the Initiate Dorms. As she was, Korrah and over a dozen other younglings under the age of ten were cared for in the Heliost Clan by Master A'kam and two other Masters. Oftentimes, Padawans, younger Knights and the occasional Master would come and assist the caretakers in watching them.

There were datapads and learning materials available to them that Korrah took full advantage of within her first few weeks of arriving. Korrah would have likened the whole experience to be very reminiscent to leaving home to go to college again, if she hadn't been surrounded by other young children.

The Jedi crèche was like a more advanced Daycare, with a curriculum specifically designed for Force-sensitives. If it weren't for Qui-Gon and Roloh providing useful distractions, however, Korrah probably wouldn't have been able to contain her impatience at the idea that she'd have to wait four more years before she could become an Initiate and actually start training. Now she was back to being an 'advanced' child again.

At least the older Initiates had actual 'school', with classes on Force instruction held in the morning, politics and history were at noon and physical training took place in the afternoon. Korrah only knew about this because Qui-Gon had smugly told her he was scheduled to take the Initiate Trials when his birthday finally came. She'd thrown a pillow at him and had been darkly satisfied when it caught him right in the face.

There were also five mandatory meditation sessions that every Initiate partook in each day between their classes. These meditations were strongly encouraged within the crèche, and something that Korrah focused the most on right after her tall pile of datapads that she had managed to get her hands on detailing the extensive and fascinating history of this vast galaxy. She could read them on her own in Basic fairly well now and Korrah was pretty sure that Master A'kam noticed her dedication to studying. She'd caught the Master adding new datapads to the crèche and passively encouraging her with breathing tips for meditation.

Days turned into weeks until an entire month since her birthday had passed her by and Korrah could feel herself subtly becoming better at focusing and feeling the Force when she meditated. Childhood memories from another life of learning how to swim came to her mind, of how she learned to float, paddle and submerge her head under the water. Even if she was a mature adult in her mind, slipping into the Force could leave one a bit…breathless if they weren't prepared. Or careful.

A certain instance highlighted this danger.

Sitting amongst her Clan mates in the main crèche room, Korrah focused on her heartbeat. It was so much easier to feel it now – the Force was there all around her just…waiting. The Master in charge of overseeing them was serenely encouraging them to focus on their breathing and open themselves to feel the Force _flow_ through them.

Korrah breathed deeply and…sank deeper.

… _There!_

" _I did it_ …" It was a triumphant thought, but it felt detached and far away. The Force was…the weightlessness from being submerged in warm, tropical waters…and the breathless freedom of flight.

Relishing the feeling of floating, flowing along in the swirling currents of the Force. She had never gone this deep before.

It was so beautiful! She never wanted to leave. It was so peaceful. She wanted to stay here, let the world around her float away as she drifted on-

… _rah! H-…to go…Wake up, Korrah."_

There were ripples disturbing the sublime trance she'd found herself in. Allowing the energy to coil around her, she felt her consciousness swept away from them, from her body and found herself in a different location.

Scenes witnessed in front of her inner eye too fast for her to understand.

– _flash of yellow light/dark vegetation and mud clinging to her/"-ever let you-"/happiness and bitter pain all in one moment–_

"… _-on't wake up! Korrah!"_

Voices. In the distance. She didn't think too much over them. She was having trouble concentrating.

The shifting scenes suddenly dissipated and Korrah walking through a dark stone hallway. She immediately got a bad feeling from this place. The floor slanted downwards leading her deeper, away from the surface. She had never seen this place before. She didn't know where it led and her unease only increased. She reached a spiraling set of stairs and continued down, down. The acrid smell of sulfur assaulted her senses and the air was getting hotter; unbearably so until the stairs ended at a narrow arched doorway that Korrah stepped through and stopped.

Before her was a humongous, underground cavern illuminated with a fiery glow as lava bubbled from open pools that casting eerie and sharp shadows around jagged stalagmites. Sharp stalactites hung from the roof of the cave, like demonic sharp teeth.

It looked like a scene straight from hell.

She could feel the Force here, but it was oppressive as the heat from the magma around her; suffocating her. Completely different to what she'd been experiencing just a few seconds ago.

Within a split second, the scalding heat was replaced with cold. So cold it burned! It froze the air in her lungs and fear gripped her whole mind.

– **Show me what I seek. Come to me! –**

Rational thought failed her. Korrah called out with her mind in terror. _"Devahin! Savah! Master Yoda, someone, help me!"_

The light of the cavern went out like a candle and all that was left was darkness. The evil cold was crawling through her flesh and into her bones. She couldn't feel her limbs!

– **Show me where you are! –**

Pain exploded inside her brain and Korrah screamed.

* * *

Roloh Vaah's couldn't concentrate anymore. He didn't know what, but he just knew something was…off. He was trying as hard as he could to follow the Clan Master's directions and meditate, but Korrah was sitting next to him and her feelings were distracting, fluctuating all over the place.

Roloh opened his eyes and peeked over at his new friend. She was sitting still in the meditative posture with a look of deep serenity on her face. She'd only come to the Temple a short time ago and was already so good at this! It was kind of unfair. The peace she was exuding was almost tangible, but right now it felt weird, like it was…too strong and there was something else below the surface. And it was distracting him.

Roloh had always been able to sense what other people were feeling for as long as he could remember. Sometimes he would start laughing when another person found something funny or cry when someone else was in pain. It was very confusing most of the time. The Masters had explained to him more than once that he was gifted in 'em-pa-thy', which meant he could feel others emotions like they were his. He couldn't control it yet, and as a result, he usually liked to be off by himself away from his Clan mates. It wasn't that he didn't like them, it was just that their collective emotions were very 'loud' all the time and constantly trying to filter them out was exhausting.

However, Korrah was different. Her emotions were more like the adults, very controlled and subdued. They didn't overwhelm him like the other Clan younglings. He really like that about her, especially the feelings of calm she gave off when she spoke to him. Korrah was really patient too and didn't mind that he didn't speak a lot. She was his first friend.

The chime rang softly signaling the end of the session. The Iktotchi boy reached over and gently tugged the sleeve of the human girl's tunic.

"Korrah. Meditation is over, it's time to go to dinner."

Korrah didn't answer. Maybe she fell asleep? He'd done that a few times before.

"Korrah, wake up." He tried again.

Roloh pulled a little harder this time and felt a spike of panic when his friend simply collapsed over onto her side on the floor. Her eyes were hooded and rolled back in her head as he felt a strong surge in the Force around her. Her emotions were strange, conflicting, flitting from one to the next too fast for him to identify. Suddenly a couple of them spiked above the others. Pain and fear.

Her emotions echoed inside him, but instead of letting go, Roloh grabbed onto her shoulder and started shaking her as hard as he dared worriedly as Qui-Gon came up next to him concerned. "Something's wrong. She's hurting and scared, I can feel it, but she won't wake up!"

The other boy waved at the attending Master. "Master A'kam! Korrah's…I think she might be having a vision!"

"Her heart's stopped!" Roloh screamed. He couldn't tell the difference between his friend's fear and his own anymore.

Master A'kam was suddenly among them in a flurry of robes, checking her pulse. She lifted up their friend into her arms and swiftly exited the room.

Qui-Gon and he made to follow her but were held back by a Jedi Knight. "No, younglings. Master A'kam with take care of your friend. She'll be okay, I'm sure."

Qui-Gon was trying to argue with the Knight, but Korrah's emotions still echoed around Roloh's senses, rattling his nerves and making his hands continue to shake slightly. He didn't know what it was, but beneath his feelings and Korrah's, he'd felt the emotions of something else. Something unfamiliar and indescribably _dark_ within the mind of his friend. It was only for a brief second, when her heart had stopped. It was so cold and terrifying and _**dark**_ and…what if she died?!

Overcome with helpless thoughts, Roloh started sobbing.

* * *

Master Yoda came into the Halls of Healing as several Jedi Healers surrounded the small form of the girl he had escorted to the Temple just several months ago.

Despite her heart stopping for several seconds, the young girl was alive if unconscious. The healers made room for him as he lifted himself up to the bedside.

Reaching out with his senses, he immediately felt the effects of the Dark Side lingering within her mind. Residual pain floated across her subconscious

" _Another attack this is and from a distance, I am sure. Strong in the Dark Side this being must be to accomplish such. Yet distance, young Korrah's escape may prove once again."_

He cast the Force around her, shielding the young but incredibly bright light from the shadows that stifled it. The presence of Korrah's mind was unlike the countless other young minds he'd come across in his many centuries of life.

" _Too mature and experienced it is."_

With practiced ease, he brushed the remaining dark energy away and eased the girl into a light healing trance that would soon give way to natural sleep, leaving her once again as a beacon of light.

He sat there, contemplating his thoughts of this youngling. Nearby, he overheard one of the Healers fretting over Korrah's condition.

"…even imagine how she could tap into something so dangerous, even if she's a youngling! What could the girl have been thinking-"

Yoda interrupted the Healer. "No fault of the youngling this was. Quick to assume, we must not."

A blue-skinned Twi'lek entered the room and strode purposefully to the bed. Jedi Master Vokara Che shooed away the other junior Healer before hovering next to Master Yoda as he watched the young girl.

She glanced at the datapad in her hand detailing all of the human girl's known medical history. "She will recover, I even suspect she'll be waking up within the day, but Master, I must insist on a Mind Healing session for her when she's ready." She said.

"This youngling came in contact with the Dark Side of the Force. Her susceptibility to its negative effects are only increased in her case, as she was already suffering from overexposure to the Force during meditation today. And while I have no doubt that that was just an accident, she's so young; so strong in the Force that, combined with her clear history of visions, even the briefest exposure of the Dark Side could seriously harm her psyche." The Jedi Healer scanned through the data, frowning minutely. "She doesn't have the control necessary to mitigate the damage on her own. She's too young."

Yoda sighed in response to her analysis. "The work of the Dark Force user I sensed on Chandrila, this was. Strike again against young Korrah they did." His finger pensively stroked over the top of his gimmer stick. "Search for her they do."

A spark of surprise and concern flashed through Vokara's face. She looked down at the small child. "A Dark Jedi is after this youngling? But why?"

Yoda hummed contemplatively. "Motives for their persistent search I know not. In danger young Korrah is, perhaps. But safe she is here in the Temple. To guard the innocent and young, the duty of the Jedi Order it is, hm?"

Vokara huffed at the Jedi Grandmaster's question. "I'll be keeping her here for overnight observation. Do you have anything to say to that, Master Yoda?"

Yoda dismounted his seat and turned to the door. "No, in your capable hands I leave her. If unharmed and cleared of injury she is, then return to the crèche, I insist. Concerned for her, young Korrah's friends are. Many questions of her health they ask, Master A'kam says." He smiled over his shoulder from the doorway. "Good medicine comes from Healers. The best medicine found in caring friends, is it not?"

Vokara pursed her lips, but nodded in understanding. The girl's vital scans didn't show anything that would justify keeping her longer than overnight – Vokara hadn't picked up anything either – and if there was no immediate danger of her having a relapse then she'd be safe to return to the care of her crèche Master. The Twi'lek healer turned her attention towards completing the medical forms.

She would still be insisting on those Mind Healing sessions, though.

* * *

Korrah showed up back at the crèche the next morning, alive and well. Upon her entrance, she was immediately tackled to the ground by Roloh in a tight hug with Qui-Gon dashing up right behind him, hovering around them both like a fretting mother hen.

The Chandrilan girl had her work cut out for her trying to calm them down and answer Qui-Gon's questions over her wellbeing. "I'm okay. The Healers said I just overexposed myself to the Force." Korrah explained and pulled herself up to her feet, Roloh still clinging stubbornly to her.

"So, you're okay?" Qui-Gon asked. "I mean, Roloh said your heart stopped."

Korrah sighed. Or at least tried to. For a small child, the Iktotchi boy had a very strong, very _tight_ grip. "Yes, but only for a second or two. If it had been anything serious, the healers would have kept me in the Halls for much longer so stop worrying about that. As of right now, I'm only allowed to meditate outside the Force for a few days until I'm more vigilant about how far I let myself go into the Force. Apparently, I lack control." She said. Korrah didn't give any mention of the close brush with the Dark Side presence that she'd encountered while she'd been 'under'. Yoda had warned her against spreading that information. She felt a little bad about keeping that from her friends, she knew he was right in saying that they didn't need to know.

Poor Roloh still hadn't said a word; just buried his face in her tunics and held on. Patting his back reassuringly, she maneuvered him over a bit so she could hug him back and face Qui-Gon a little better.

The older boy pointed at Roloh. "This one didn't sleep at all last night." Qui-Gon revealed. "It kept me up too with Master A'kam trying to get him to calm down." He was still looking at her like she'd fall over at any second. "What really happened, Korrah? You felt…really weird. I'm usually really good at sensing living things, but you were…I don't know how to explain it, but it was like you…weren't there for a second."

Korrah shrugged. "Overexposure. The Healers said that I'd performed the meditation correctly, but then lost control over my conscience…which, I think, meant I sank too far into the flow of the Unifying Force and almost disconnected myself from my body." She grimaced at the memory. "Master Che lectured me pretty bad when I woke up this morning about how dangerous it was for almost half an hour before she allowed me to get out of bed, much less leave the Healing Ward," she motioned with her free hand. "But as you can see, I'm not hurt, nor dead."

"I'm glad you're not." He said.

"Me too." She said and smiled still holding Roloh like she used to for her sons when they were just as small. It was a little awkward to do it when she was only a few inches taller than the Iktotchi as well as the same age, but he was no longer tense. _"This life I have's not that bad."_ She thought.

Qui-Gon had deemed his visual check-up complete and relaxed back into his casual stance. "We were in the middle of playing with the memory cards, the ones that show which moons belong to which planet in the Mid-Rim if you want to join in." He looked down still holding onto his younger friend and laughed. "That is, if you can convince Roloh to let go for a few minutes."

Korrah stuck her tongue out at him, but didn't move to detach the Iktotchi boy. For his part, Roloh ignored Qui-Gon's harmless teasing, and basked in the reassurance and caring feelings Korrah was projecting. How did she know how to do that? She really did feel like one of the really good adults when she did, only giving off calming emotions and rubbing his back in an effort to soothe him as he hugged her.

Emotional impressions from long before he could form memories floated forward, resonating with the emotions he could sense.

"… _kind of feels like a mother…"_

* * *

After the close call with her meditation, Korrah thought she'd be able to return to her normal routine same as usual after the Healers had her go through a therapy session to make sure nothing was wrong with her. She wasn't very happy to hear about that; shrinks were just a natural aversion no matter what world you lived in. They ask _questions._ The kind people don't want to answer.

Unfortunately, her problems hadn't stop after she was released from the Halls of Healing. Korrah's visions, which had been oddly sparse and tame in the months since she'd arrived at the Temple, returned to her dreams with a vengeance.

It was as if a floodgate had been opened. Every night, she would wake up gasping for breath from another vision, clear as a memory and lie awake trying to calm her heart until the sun had already risen and Morning call was made. The reduced amount of sleep that she was getting made her lethargic and anxious, which had resulted in her two friends keeping a constant vigilance over her like she would pass out at any moment again.

Roloh had remained all but glued himself to her side and Qui-Gon's constant side glances and protective posture weren't nearly as subtle as he probably thought they were. She'd tried to reassure the two again, but it was half-hearted at best. There was no doubt in her mind that Master A'kam had noticed her slight decline in health as well.

Finally, it came to a head during her scheduled Mind Healing session a week after she collapsed. Korrah found herself sitting in a shaded room with the stern-faced, blue Twi'lek Jedi Master of the Halls of Healing sitting across from her holding a data pad and stylus.

She gave Korrah a surprisingly disarming smile to her as she opened the conversation.

"Hello Korrah. You remember me? I'm Master Vokara Che. I'm the Head Healer in the Halls of Healing here at the Temple and I'm here to help you. Do you know why we're here today?"

Korrah averted her gaze and nodded. "Because I've been having really strong visions at night. And you want to be sure that I'm okay."

"Yes, Korrah. Do you realize what happened when you passed out?"

The girl nodded. "I lost control of my consciousness while meditating and overexposed myself to the Force." She said. "I've been doing better now."

Vokara's blue eyes seemed like they saw every move. It wasn't threatening, but it was still uncomfortable being under such close scrutiny. "What else happened?"

Korrah watched her cautiously. Vokara didn't speak again, waiting for an answer, so she thought back carefully over the incident.

"I…touched the Dark Side?" She figured that's what this would most likely be about.

Vokara shook her head. "Not exactly, it wasn't an action done by yourself, but you did come in contact with it." she wrote down something. "What did you see when it came in contact with you?"

The sight of the lava cave was burned into Korrah's memory. "Um, first, there was a long hallway going down. It was really dark until it came to a stairwell and went down further. Everything started getting too hot and smelled like really bad eggs. The stairs ended at the entrance to an enormous cave that was lit up by pools of lava. There were stalactites and stalagmites everywhere…it was seriously creepy." Korrah recounted. "It felt…wrong…evil, kind of."

Vokara wrote something down. "What happened next?"

Korrah swallowed. "Well…then it got cold all of a sudden. Really, _really_ cold until I couldn't feel anything and…"

"And?" Vokara asked.

Korrah sighed. "…it got so cold it was painful, and then I heard a voice…it was very loud and felt like knives stabbing into my head…it demanded to know…where I was." She ran her hand through her dark hair, brushing it back over her head and fiddled with the ends.

" _I wish I knew how to do those braids Savah would put my hair in. It's getting longer, and I don't want to cut it."_ she thought reminiscently.

"What happened next?"

Korrah dropped her hair. "I didn't do anything. I was too…scared. Then, something stopped the cold and the voice disappeared…I think it was Master A'kam; it felt like her at least. After that, I blacked out and the next thing I remember was waking up in the Halls of Healing."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes as Vokara continued writing on her datapad. She finished whatever thoughts she'd been recording and looked up, her head tilted curiously. "How do you know of the Dark Side, Korrah? When did you first hear of it?"

Korrah blinked at the change in topic. "The first time, um…it was when Master Yoda came to see me and my parents back on Chandrila." She explained.

"He spoke to your parents of the Force, did he?"

Korrah shook her head. "No, I'd had a…vision the night before that my parents were worried about and he looked into my mind to see it. He said that a Dark Side user had attacked me by accident while I was asleep."

Vokara was still for several seconds.

"Can you please describe the vision to me, Korrah?"

Korrah didn't want to talk about it. She resisted the urge to shift in her seat uncomfortably.

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Not if you don't want to, but it's my responsibility to help you and treat the effects of the Dark Side. I'm not trying to forcefully pry into something personal; I only have your best interests at heart, Korrah."

Korrah sighed. She still didn't want to talk about it, but…Master Yoda had already _seen_ it. What was the point of keeping it a secret? "It started off fine. I was walking through a gray fog until it cleared away and I was…standing in the Temple."

Vokara raised and 'eyebrow'. "The Temple? You mean here on Coruscant?"

Korrah nodded smiling. "I saw the Room of a Thousand Fountains. I didn't know that was what it was at the time though and I left when I almost ran into a couple of the blurry figures that were there."

" _Fascinating."_ Thought the Twi'lek healer.

However, as she wrote down several thoughts on the youngling's latent skills in precognition, she noticed in her peripheral vision that Korrah had grown sullen and withdrawn again, which meant the next part of the vision probably wasn't as innocent. "Please continue, Korrah."

The girl started using the breathing techniques all crèchlings were taught for meditation. "The vision suddenly changed and I wasn't in the Temple anymore. I was outside my home. When I went inside…at first I thought I was alone, but then…I found Papa…he- he was stabbed through the chest and Mama was…cut in two pieces and lying on the floor in the living room just outside the kitchen. Her eyes were open."

Vokara felt a slight chill go through her. She was too good to let it show, though. Korrah had started fiddling with her hair again.

"That's when the shadowy figure attacked me. I mean- it came down the stairs and tried to reach me…Papa had a blaster pistol, but it didn't work so I ended up…" Korrah looked away. "I ended up using it to…make the vision stop. To get away."

" _That…does not bode well."_ Vokara thought.

Suicidal thoughts, whether or not it was contained within a vision, was not a good sign, especially with the semi-conscious nature of the vision that Vokara had detected from Korrah's account. It did cast a better light on the youngling's adamant rejection of the Dark Side, but some oversight definitely would be preferable in the future to ensure this didn't evolve into something impairing to the youngling's thought processes.

Fear leads to anger…

She finished a new section of notes. "How long do you remember having visions, Korrah?" she asked.

The human girl looked up surprised, but answered readily. "Since I was…two. It was just after my birthday."

"What's the earliest vision you can remember?"

A pregnant pause. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"It's…very personal." She said slowly.

Korrah glanced up when she didn't receive a reply to that. Maybe it was how Master Che's posture was so open and unthreatening, but all Korrah could see were signals of honesty and genuine concern. Vokara leaned forward a bit.

"Korrah, I am only here to help you. In order for me to have that ability I need you to be honest with me."

Korrah could feel her resolve crumbling. Did doctor-patient confidentiality exist in this universe? It had to, right? "You can't tell anyone." She said.

"All healing sessions are confidential, Korrah. I am the only one who will have access to these session notes." She showed her the datapad which looked like it was covered in illegible scribbles. "And all of these notes are coded in my own personal shorthand so no one else can read them."

It was so tempting. With her previous hopes of confidentiality confirmed, that meant that she could trust Vokara not to talk about it but…

Korrah opened her mouth, then closed it. She called back the tips on breathing that Master A'kam had given her again.

She didn't want to talk about it.

But…

"My first…vision…happened when I was two years old." Her hands felt cold. Massaging them didn't seem to bring any heat back into them. "I was…playing in the yard… Mama was sitting nearby…I was chasing our pet squall and…tripped. I accidentally fell into our fish pond." She paused. Vokara waited patiently.

"It happened then. Just after I fell in the water."

"What did you see?"

Trying to lie to a Jedi – much less a Jedi _Mind Healer_ – was a fool's errand. Even if they ever came close to suspecting the truth, they couldn't prove anything. Still, it was getting harder to breath properly.

"I was in a vehicle, traveling somewhere. With a man and three boys…they were my family. The boys were my children and the man…he was my husband."

Vokara's eyes widened in surprise and one of her lekku twitched. "How did you know that?"

Korrah looked away and started fiddling with her hands, shrugging helplessly. "I just know, I mean, I just knew. His name was Ken. Ken Tokugawa and one of the boys was his son from a previous marriage named Kenta…my stepson." Korrah stopped talking and focused on her breathed. Her chest was painfully constricted.

"The other two boys were my sons that I had with Ken. Twins, Alan and Tori. They were five years younger than Kenta."

There was an awkwardness to the current atmosphere that didn't seem to want to leave anytime soon. Vokara wrote a short sentence in her notes.

"Please, continue. If you were traveling, where did you go?"

The laughter and memoires of her…last day…were faint echoes in Korrah's mind. The act of wiping mud off of Tori's face and stopping Kenta from stuffing a fish down Alan's shirt were precious images that were now faded with time, playing in the forefront of her mind. "We'd been camping in the mountains. We were going home."

Vokara waited.

Korrah swallowed. "We…didn't make it. There was a storm…and a flash flood…a mudslide caught the vehicle and pushed us off the road and over a cliff"

The horrible experience of…falling into the black, further and further away from the screaming voices of her family…haunted her.

"I died."

The atmosphere of the shaded room had become oppressive. Heavy. Korrah wanted to leave.

The sound of Vokara's stylus could be heard for a few seconds, then stopped. "What did you see happen to the-…to your family?"

The fear was back, tearing into her heart as Korrah forced the words out. "…I didn't….I don't know what happened to them…I didn't see-…I want to believed that they lived. I _have_ to!" a shudder rippled through her whole body.

" _They were hurt! I heard Alan's arm snap! Kenta and Ken were getting the twins out of the car and I couldn't move!"_ She was so close to crying, but the tears wouldn't fall.

Vokara quickly spoke up. The young girl was close to dissolving into an emotional meltdown.

"Korrah you must remember that this was only a vision. Jedi Masters see many things through the Force and have-"

Korrah's eye flew up to meet the Jedi Master's.

"I. _knew._ Them." She gritted out. "I held them in my arms; Alan and Tori, when they were born. I held Kenta's hand on his first day to school and Ken…I was his _wife._ I loved him."

Vokara sat back and quickly transcribed several paragraphs of notes. Under her patient's cautious she could feel her fluctuating emotions. There was an incredibly strong undercurrent of joy, happiness, soul-deep _love_ that drifted to the surface when she spoke of her…sons. And her declaration towards her husband…there was passion there; emotionally and- physically. When she said she loved them she _meant it._

" _Just how much did she see in this vision? How many has she_ _had_ _?"_ she thought, mildly horrified at the idea that a youngling of only two standard years would have to experience the pain and tragedy of their own death in such a vivid fashion.

"I miss them."

Vokara focused back on her patient at the confession. She tried to console the young girl just a little. "Visions can be…tricky even to the wisest of Jedi Masters, Korrah."

Korrah shook her head and stared off at one of the walls of the room again. "It wasn't just a vision, Master. It was more than that. I- I _lived._ It was…it was my life. All the way up to my death."

Vokara considered that, rolling her stylus around in her fingers. "Did you have any more visions after that?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. I started seeing things after that. Not just in my dreams, but…differently. I noticed things… _understood_ things…even though I wasn't…"

" _So there were more…"_ Vokara silently despaired.

Korrah forced herself to stop talking. Her robes were too hot and the whole room was stifling her. Even with the shades drawn to darken the room, the thin beams of light that filtered through seemed blinding. Guilt and sorrow was overwhelming her. But it was muted now, thankfully. Enough time had passed for that to happen.

She was tired though. Just so tired. She wanted this to be over. Korrah sighed again and braved looking up at Vokara from her seat. "I _lived._ I _died_ ….and then I woke up and…I didn't know who I was anymore."

Vokara's breath caught in her chest at that look. An indecipherable emotion twisted in her chest. They stayed there stuck in a pensive silence for a few minutes.

" _I would say there is a definite chance of an Identity crisis if I'm reading this right."_ Vokara thought.

Her blue eyes looked over the small form in front of her. _"But she's so young!"_

Her gaze seemed analytical to Korrah, but there was a definite element of pity there as well. But Vokara was a professional and quickly composed herself. "Why don't you start with your name? Remember who you are called and build yourself up from there." she said gently.

The physically four-year-old girl thought back to her memory of waking up in the Med Center with Savah watching her from her bedside. She remembered the woman's soothing hand, kind eyes and caring voice.

"Korrah." She whispered. "My name is Korrah Hyymn."

Vokara finished whatever she was writing down and set aside her notes.

"We'll end here for today, Korrah. I will be seeing you again next week for another session so I can help you through this. It's obvious you have much more on your mind than we'll be able to cover today.

Oh sweet release! Korrah stood up and bowed politely before making a swift exit out the door.

Vokara released her own drawn out breathe after her departure. The content of the session had shaken her. That look of despondent anguish in the little girl's eyes, her heartbreak and mourning over the lost family depicted in her vision coloring the Force around her thick as fog. She'd had cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder before, but she'd never dealt with one so entrenched and definitely not in a patient so…so _young!_

And if she had read the signs correctly – which of course she had – Vokara already knew the extent of the damage that these powerful visions had done to this youngling's mind was horrifyingly extensive. It already showed in her mannerisms, speech and behavior which didn't match that of a four year old human child, but of someone much older. Her visions of an…older, alternate self must have been so strongly impressed upon the girl's mind before she was ready or trained to handle them that she'd formed an identity based upon them. Young Korrah honestly believed that the vision-woman was who she was supposed to be. And to think it had been going on for at least two years! Long before she had ever been brought to the Temple, which made the chances of reversing the mental 'scarring' perhaps impossible.

However, Korrah wasn't mentally unstable – _thank the Force_ – she was just…very, very confused. Vokara took solace in the knowledge that the girl would now she be getting the help that she needed.

The Jedi Healer gathered her notes and exited the room to report to the Council. Master Yoda had asked to be kept informed on the girl's state. The notes she'd taken would remain encoded, she hadn't lied about that, but she could give them a report of her mental health without revealing the details.

Vokara knew it would take time, but Korrah was still young.

There was no need to panic. She had time to heal.

* * *

Amid the seedy and less reputable parts of a Chandrilan spaceport, a tall, shadowed figure knelt down in front of a holo-projector within the secrecy of a small decrepit room. The image projected before them from the machine depicted another person unidentifiable from under their hood.

" _How goes your search my apprentice?"_ the hooded figure inquired.

The kneeling apprentice dipped his head a fraction lower. The results of his assignment would not be met with favorable sentiments from his Master.

"I successfully identified and located the cause of the disturbance within the Force that we had sensed a year ago, Master. A child, prodigiously strong in the Force and residing on the planet of Chandrila was the source."

" _And have you acquired this child?"_ Came the expected response.

The Muun took a breath, knowing the rest of the information that would displease his Master greatly. "Upon my arrival on Chandrila, I discovered that my presence came too late, Master."

There was no outburst, but his Master's acute fury was obvious even across the holo-projection. Though he was not present in the small room, the temperature seemed to drop a degree.

" _Explain yourself, Darth Plagueis."_ He ordered.

The shadowed Muun complied. "When I arrived on Chandrila, the presence of the child in question was no longer onworld. I continued my search through the Force again and have successfully located the child to be on the planet of Coruscant."

A pause.

"The child is in the hands of the Jedi, Master."

" _You have failed in your task, Apprentice."_ Tenebrous snarled.

Anger simmered in the Muun's gut at his Master's words, but he held his tongue. Another beat of tense silence passed before Darth Tenebrous resumed his interrogation.

" _I assume that you have at least performed your due diligence in uncovering any pertinent information about this child? You will tell me everything that you have learned of them."_

* * *

 **And so this chapter is brought to a close. Korrah is now counted among the Jedi and adjusting to her new situation. I apologize once again for the wait, but want to express my greatest thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, followed, etc. this story. It was absolutely amazing!**

 **Here's hoping you're all still here for the next post!**

 **And please, leave a review! It's the greatest feeling in the world to receive feedback from readers.**

 **-ObsidianShadow1994**


	8. Chapter 7: Initiate

**A/N: As many of you may notice, this is much shorter than my pervious posts, but that is because I've found writing up to 10,000+ words for each chapter to be too draining and time-consuming.**

 **I apologize to those of you who really enjoy long updates, but I've realized that it's taking too much out of me and interfering with both my schoolwork and inspiration to write this story, which in turn affects my ability to get it out within my self-imposed schedule of one chapter every two to three weeks.**

 **I do want to apologize for taking so long to update. I know it's been weeks, but I dearly hope that this will meet standards set by my previous work.**

 **This chapter is kind of filler, but the next few chapters needed the set up. Next update will be in two to three weeks and the story will start moving and developing again.**

 **And of course, a very BIG 'THANK YOU!' to Ducky9002 for editing again for me! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Initiate

" _Aaah, new best day ever!"_ Korrah's mind trilled happily and she dove as deep under the water as she could.

Oh sweet bliss! Of all the features that the Jedi Temple had within its walls, the giant _pool_ was definitely in Korrah's top five favorite!

Laura Sunner neé Tokugawa had – in another life – also loved the water. Whether it was being out in the rain or a day at the beach, she'd loved to swim and having been born and raised in California just minutes from the Pacific ocean, her summers had been spent in the sand and waves for as long as she could remember, with surfing and swim club following as she got older.

Korrah's mind was brought back to the present as the need for air forced her to return to the surface, only to be accosted by Master A'kam's displeased voice.

"Korrah! It is time to leave. Get out _now_!"

She flinched a bit at the reprimand and quickly – if reluctantly – swam back to the pool's stairs where she took a towel from the attending Master.

"Korrah, when I call you to come out you _will_ do so at once. The rest of your peers are already changing." Her gaze was stern and immovable. Korrah knew she was in trouble this time. "You will be meditating on the proper respect you should demonstrates to your elders, understand Korrah?"

Korrah squeezed water from her thick braid and lowered her eyes as she nodded apologetically to the Camaasi Crèche master. "Yes, Master A'kam. I will."

She'd rather take the extra meditation than start another debate with her Crèche Master.

Korrah liked Master A'kam, but the last year had seen their fair share of the two of them 'butting heads' in the intellectual and personal independence arena and the human girl had had learned when to pick her battles.

It was hard though, and becoming harder as time went by, that she was no longer seen as an adult. These people weren't her parents, so the loss of her personal freedoms was chaffing against her more and more. Korrah had nothing against showing respect to her superiors, it's the natural way of things especially in a workplace, but she'd gotten to a point where her status as a child had become a daily curse for her.

Once again, her prescribed "equals" were children too young to understand their own wariness of the stranger in their midst and would rather whisper and point at her behind her back for being too _different,_ too smart, or 'too-grown-up' than befriend her. Only Roloh stubbornly stayed by her side to this day. Qui-Gon had long since been moved to the Initiate dorms and couldn't spend as much time with them anymore.

The tall Jedi quickly ushered her forward and she cast one last doleful look at the pool before hurrying away, careful not to slip on the smooth floors.

That was another sad thing. Ever since being 'reborn', Korrah hadn't really had much opportunity to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes until she'd arrived at the Temple. After the scare with the fish pond, Savah had planted flowering bushes around it as a preventive measure against her ever falling in again.

However, it seemed that not even the memories of Laura's death under the circumstances she'd been dealt with had done a thing to taint her love of the water.

She hurried a bit faster as Master A'kam strode behind her watching menacingly and furiously rubbed away the excess water to ward off the chill of the air. She joined the rest of her crèche-mates in the side room who had already changed out of their swimwear into their tunics.

She quickly changed and jogged out to join Roloh, where she was immediately faced with two girls from her Clan, a Rodian and a Twi'lek, were giggling into their hands and standing next to Roloh even as he tried and failed to shush them.

The Twi'lek – Korrah was pretty sure her name was Lyn Dar-… 'something' – pointed a blue finger in Korrah's face as the human girl finally joined them.

"You must be part Mon Calamari, Korrah! You spend so much time swimming under the water it's like you don't even breathe air."

Lyn's Rodian friend choked out another burst of laughter behind her green hands. Her name was…Kwela? Or Jena, one of those.

She stuck her tongue out at them rather than answer and rushed into a side room where she threw on her tunic and boots as fast as she could. When she came out, she caught Master A'kam sending her one last glance before calling the Heliost Clan to order and leading them out. She filed in next to Roloh with the others into two lines and the followed after the Jedi Master. Korrah sighed and squeezed more water out of her hair as she walked through the halls, hoping she got enough so that it wouldn't end up soaking into her tunics.

It was nice to recognize the telltale landmarks in the vast hallways since she'd come to the Temple. General navigation and foot paths were more than familiar to her now, so it wasn't long until she could tell when they were all close to arriving back in the crèche.

Korrah was immediately directed by Master A'kam to one of the corners away from the main group to carry out her assigned meditation with which she complied without fuss.

It was well into late morning by the time she was called again by the crèche Master. Swim lessons had been slated to take place first thing in the morning and lunch would be a few hours from now.

Korrah knew what the Master wanted from her. It had already been six more days. She bowed and looked up silently as she waited by the doorway.

The Camaasi nodded. "Go on, then. You know the way."

Korrah dipped in a bow again and left. Despite the rift of unseen years between them that left them at odds, it was nice to have her crèche Master still trust her to make her way unsupervised through the halls of the Temple.

She trotted down the hallway until she turned a corner and spied a couple familiar faces, the first being Qui-Gon and the second, a dark-skinned Noorian girl who was standing next to him.

Her name was Tahl. And she was _cool._ Not just because Korrah remembered her in her memories from 'Before', but because ever since Qui-Gon had introduced them, she'd never treated her like a child. If anything, she acted as if she saw Korrah as a very small adult. It was a small thing, but something that made Korrah swear life-long friendship and determined to ensure she'd _try_ to somehow prevent her tragic death; for herself, for Tahl and Qui-Gon. After all, it just wouldn't do to lose one of her best friends _and_ one of the few Initiates who could kick Qui-Gon's _ass_ on the training mats.

Korrah's face split into a happy smile as she increased her pace to a slow jog.

"Qui-Gon! Tahl!"

The two Initiates turned and smiled in reply as they greeted their younger friend when she caught up to them.

Tahl squinted her – _really cool_ – stripped eyes at her. "Huh. I don't think I've ever seen you without your hair in a braid, Korrah."

The girl shrugged by way of explanation and ran her fingers through her thick, long hair which was still very damp. "My Clan just returned from swim lessons and it's too heavy to braid when it's wet. It makes my head hurt."

She then pinned all her attention onto Qui-Gon. He raised a challenging eyebrow in response to her pointed look.

"Don't you dare forget! You said you'd celebrate Roloh's birthday with the two of us." She warned.

She glanced back at Tahl and quickly added. "You're invited to come too if you want! It's three days from now."

Qui-Gon just rolled his blue eyes and looked a little annoyed at her accusation. "I haven't forgotten." He said. "Our next class is about to start, Korrah, so I'll see you and Roloh in a few days when the Masters call for volunteers in the crèche again."

Korrah nodded, satisfied. "Okay, because once you do, you're helping us in sneaking out and finding a place where Roloh can finally taste the greatness that is chocolate."

Qui-Gon smirked, not commenting on how her blatant announcement would definitely get them in trouble if one of the Masters overheard them. "Do you even know where to find one? I agreed with getting us out, but it's no good if you get us lost on the streets of Coruscant."

Straightening her back, Korrah smiled confidently back at him. "Oh ye of little faith! Padawan Sifo-Dyas told me about a place just last week. It's supposed to be really close by too and he's also one of their regulars so if we mention his name they probably won't ask too many questions."

Tahl glanced between them before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in resigned disagreement. "Honestly, between the two of you, you're going to drive the Masters into early graves with your escapades. And I think you're both bad influences on Roloh. You're going to corrupt the poor boy."

The three children laughed and said their farewells as they parted. Korrah continued on alone down another hallway.

She still had to get to her appointment with Master Che.

* * *

"…Master A'kam informed me some time ago about your fondness for swimming. And you haven't suffered any kind of relapses, memories of your visions?"

Korrah looked up. "Huh? Oh, no, I don't have any problems with swimming; I love it, really!"

Her hazel eyes went distant for a few moments as she thought back. "When I died…in my vision, I was trapped in a vehicle during a storm and it was dark, so it's not like anything in the brightly lit swimming area brought _that_ to the forefront of my mind…I was also impaled at that time, so, there's another difference."

"You're much better at talking about it now." Vokara commented.

She shrugged. "It's been years since then and I have you to talk to about it. You want to know and I don't have to worry about letting you down or worrying too much about me."

Vokara allowed herself a small smile. Korrah had become much more open to her after the first few months and the therapy sessions had progress over the past year.

Still the way she wasn't affected by her initial vision was…a good sign, she decided. Reversing the damage had long since been dismissed by the Jedi Master as a pipe dream, but preventing further trauma was something she had shown some promise in.

…Of course, this would have made the Jedi Healer feel more secure if it weren't for one problem that Vokara had been dealing with for over a year since beginning these mind healing sessions with the girl.

Korrah was a _genius._

The thoughts and arguments that came from the young girl in front of her had more often than not left the Twi'lek Jedi glancing at the chrono and wondering if she'd be able to lay in bed that night without staring at the ceiling for hours just trying to process half of what Korrah could unload on her.

The girl understood…so much. Too much! Science, music, economics, politics…although that last one wasn't too surprising. Korrah _had_ been born on Chandrila, where it was completely the norm for democratic practices to be argued and debated back and forth as if they were competitive sports teams.

Their sessions hadn't initially been meant to cover so many, or varied topics, but Korrah was so…advanced that the conversation had naturally flowed into places that Vokara hadn't expected. If she was being honest with herself, despite the mature mindset that the girl had gained under the stress of her visions, she had still expected to be treating a child. Korrah didn't act like a child. Even more perplexing, she didn't seem to even _think_ like one! She was…

…a genius.

Vokara was not. Decidedly not but she was doing her best.

Thankfully, she had discovered that there was less damage to Korrah's mind than initially expected from what she had tentatively dubbed the 'split-personality' brought on by the intense visions, but Vokara attributed that to the naturally nurturing traits it – thankfully – possessed. Subconsciously, it seemed to be holding _itself_ back from being too harmful and to the healer's relief, merging more and more with Korrah's primary conscience. It was truly fascinating _and_ infuriatingly hard to treat.

Korrah meanwhile, lay on her back sprawled out over the circular cushion. It was much easier to talk to Master Che now. The familiarity that had been built up between them made her comfortable enough to confide in her.

It also made it possible to relax like this. She wouldn't get scolded for it, even though it was a childish and undisciplined, but Korrah could tell that small acts like this actually reassured Master Che that she _was_ a _child…_ at least in some small ways, so she let her get away with it in this private setting.

"…I'm bored." Korrah blurted out suddenly.

"Oh?"

She quickly went to explain herself before she offended the Jedi Master. "I'm not complaining, I mean, these appointments. I didn't mean I was bored about this! I meant the crèche…and I'm not even trying to complain about that, either! Boring is good. Boring is _safe_." She paused, then blew out a long breath looking up earnestly at Vokara. "It's still boring of course, but boring's not bad. It's just…boring."

"I'm certainly impressed at your display of maturity and patience." The Twi'lek's twinkled as her eyes glanced up with a quick upturn of the corner of her mouth and she wrote something down, her stylus making light a tapping sound within the room. She had no trouble believing that Korrah was starting to struggle with life in her Clan. Even tutoring with the older Padawans who volunteered at the crèche hadn't satisfied her mind anymore.

"I still have almost three more years until Initiate Trials." Korrah muttered darkly.

" _Just three more years until I can take the Initiate Trials. Please just tell me this counts as a Trial of Patience or something."_ She thought to herself.

The stylus finally stopped moving and Vokara inquired about a different topic. "How are you progressing with your studies, Korrah?"

Korrah dragged a hand over her eyes and through her long hair. It was still loose so that it would dry faster, but it was so thick that it was taking its sweet time to do so. "We are beginning our studies the various philosophies regarding the Jedi Code and…I understand it, I just don't comprehend them." she sighed.

Vokara raised an eyebrow. "Ah yes. I've had a few conversations with Master A'kam regarding a certain youngling who insists on debating Padawans who come in to aid the Masters in the crèche over the Code. And even a recently Knighted one if she's to be believed."

Korrah rolled her eyes. "Padawan Sifo-Dyas needs to study more if he isn't able to formulate a counter-argument that a _five year old_ could poke holes in and even Master A'kam could tell Master Dooku was enjoying himself," She smirked up at Vokara. "If not slightly annoyed that he was slowly losing ground to someone over two decades younger than him."

Vokara shook her head at her smug satisfaction.

"And the extra assigned meditation on the Code?"

The girl gave an up-side-down shrug. "I made the mistake of summing it up in one sentence within Master A'kam's hearing range: 'There are no absolutes, absolutely.'"

"Where would you come up with that?" Vokara asked. She had a bad feeling…

Korrah answered immediately. "From the beginning: 'There is no ignorance, there is only knowledge.'" She then glared up from her stretched out position on her seat, her face scrunched in annoyance. "Master Che, if we are denying the existence of ignorance, are we not claiming omnipotence?"

Oh, dear. Not again. Please don't let this start what Vokara thought it was heading towards.

"As Jedi, we are called by the Force to perform our duty and challenge ourselves in the constant pursuit of knowledge. As long as we remain secure in this calling, there will be no ignorance."

Hopefully that would be enough to avert any further discussion along that line of thought.

"To pursue knowledge, we must first be free to think." Korrah muttered.

Vokara stopped writing and peered down at her. Despite the Jedi's initial hopes that Korrah would not pursue her questioning of the Code (which sadly had not been the first time) there was now a…curiosity.

Her head tilted to the side with an odd look on her face.

Korrah continued.

"After all, a person is only free if they are free to think and not fear persecution for it. But the Code has no room for diversity of thought." She stated conclusively. It was something that Korrah had determined from reviewing her memories of this reality. In the centuries after the New Sith Wars, the Jedi had become something of a benevolent version of George Orwell's negative dystopia in his '1984' novel. Bizarre as the might sound.

" _I should totally write down the speech O'Brien's gave to Winston about power the next time I get a chance."_

Vokara inhaled slowly and steadily. She'd never come out of sessions with a clear mind whenever the conversation meandered across discussions of the Code. She was a healer, not a philosopher.

"Korrah that is not-"

"It's not a condemnation, Master Che. Merely an observation."

Vokara restrained herself from heaving a frustrated sigh. She'd somehow found herself sinking into (yet another) philosophical debate with a _five year old child!_ And quickly comprehending that she was out of her depth. This level of deep thinking and discussion of the Code was best left to the Archivists, Jedi Consular. Or better yet, Grandmaster Yoda.

Korrah continued after Vokara failed to respond. "We are only free if we are free to think, because thoughts are dangerous. But even though they're dangerous, they're not the…problem." She was only rambling, talking to herself at this point, but her words brought Vokara up short.

"And what do you think _is_ the 'problem', Korrah?" Vokara asked warily.

Her eyes were unfocused, looking at something far away. It was an expression that had become increasingly disconcerting to the Healer.

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Be careful and mindful of where such thoughts can take you, Korrah. You're very smart, but doubting the Code can lead to dangerous paths."

Korrah frowned. "Smart huh…no, I'm something different. Some kind of freak."

Vokara was surprised by this and quickly tried to counter, but the girl shook her head and interrupted as she Vokara's eyes. "I'm fully aware of it, Master Che. That I'm not like…you, Master A'kam, Qui-Gon, Roloh, anyone else in the Clan or outside it, at least that I've met." Her gaze darted away for a second before returning. "There _is_ something different about me. I just don't know _why_!"

"Don't cast yourself so low so quickly. You're still a youngling with many years ahead of you and patience is one of your strongest virtues, Korrah. Such knowledge is hidden from us until we are able to handle knowing it. Many don't know what their reason for living is until they have lived for decades and gained the experience necessary to determine what it is. Rather than obsessing over it and the far off future, try to remember to keep your mind in the present and the answer will come to you in due time. There is a purpose for all life, trust in the Force."

Korrah hummed noncommittedly.

Quickly taking this as a sign to move on, Vokara continued with her counseling. "There's one more thing that was brought to my attention earlier this week."

Her small patient paused for a few seconds before sitting up straighter in realization. "Was it about my debate with her on the defining qualities of love?"

Vokara flicked her stylus. "Yes. Do you understand why Master A'kam was warning against the dangers of love and how it leads to attachment?"

The Twi'lek healer mutely admired the girl's control to not roll her eyes – this time – even though the desire was completely obvious. "Yes, I did. But she didn't."

" _Oh dear."_

A feeling of helpless resign washed over Vokara who shut her eyes as her right lekku twitched involuntarily. She dreaded asking this next question, but this session had already turned into one of the difficult ones and as a professional she knew she had to.

"And why did you say that, Korrah?"

"Because Master A'kam was warning us of the so called dangers. Except, love is _not_ dangerous, love is perfect. However, we as people are not perfect. Every one of us are very flawed with things such as fear, jealousy and greed which are capable of distorting our depiction of love."

Vokara quickly wrote down several paragraphs of notes and motioned her patient to continue.

"I love my parents and they love me," Korrah confessed.

Vokara flicked her stylus with a short jerk of her hand leaving a familiar shorthand symbol to remind herself of this point in the session. This conversation thread which had come up many times during Korrah's therapy sessions. It stemmed from the young girl having very clear memories of her parents and a strong attachment to them that she had yet to let go of and even after a year of instruction. It seemed like she was determined to indulge it.

"We loved each other so much that I chose to be separated from them and they allowed me to go…even though it hurt…we still did it because we wanted what was best for each other. That's what love does, right?"

…Well, when Korrah described her attachment in such a light, it seemed perfectly justified.

It worried Vokara.

Korrah was rambling at this point, as she often did when talking about her parents. They certainly sounded like good and kind people from everything Vokara had heard about them. "I didn't want them to die, and they didn't want me to suffer on account of my untrained Force-sensitivity. We each made sacrifices for the sake of the other. That's selfless is it not?"

Vokara couldn't bring herself to answer the question and quickly brought the conversation back to the incident that Korrah's Crèche Master had brought to her attention earlier that week. "Do you remember what you said in the…conversation that you had with Master A'kam five days ago?"

Korrah ignored the obvious redirection.

"Yes."

"And you said…?" she encouraged.

Korrah shrugged. "I told her the truth: 'Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, isn't boastful or proud, doesn't dishonor others and isn't selfish, slow to anger, keeps no record of wrongs, doesn't delight in evil but rather rejoices with the truth…" she looked steadily up at the counselor as she continued. "…always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Love never fails.'…that's what I said." She finished.

Vokara was stuck in a dumb silence and was just staring at her blankly. She suddenly understood why the Caamasi Jedi had been so out of sorts.

What could she say to that?

Korrah tilted her head slightly. "Was there anything wrong with my definition of love?"

…Truthfully, no. The Jedi Healer shook her head rather than vocally answer.

Korrah pushed forward. "So then, if that is love, why did Master A'kam warn us about it like its evil? If love is all these good things: selfless, slow to anger, kind, and so on, then how it is a danger? Love is good; the ultimate good, I believe. And so…"

Korrah stopped, eyes wide as if she'd just realized something important. A smile spread across her face.

"Oh! Free-will! That's the deciding factor. Literally!"

Vokara finally gave into her urge to sigh. "What do you mean?"

Korrah grinned, open and innocent. "It's a _choice,_ free-will! When people have the ability to choose, then inevitably someone will chose wrong."

Vokara sat helplessly in her seat. She…had nothing to refute this child with.

Her earlier feelings of inadequacy returned with a vengeance.

" _I've reached my limit. I've done all that I can in this past year, but she needs someone who can debate her…heresies on her level. Her mind is stable, but she's too…advanced…even for me. How can I prevent this kind of rebellious way of thinking if I keep getting stumped like this?"_

Even as she thought this, Vokara couldn't help but internally flinch at her labeling of her patient's words 'heresy'. There was…a small part of her that pointed out what Korrah was saying made…sense. She pushed it aside to focus, but the helplessness remained.

" _This child is five!"_ Vokara's mind wailed helplessly.

A quick glance at her chrono made her realize that their time had run out.

The human girl bowed respectfully as the Jedi Healer dismissed her and exited the room. Vokara spent the next ten minutes compiling her notes from over the last three weeks and strode through the Temple until she came to a stop in from of another door.

A familiar aged voiced granted her access and she bowed before the members of the Jedi High Council. She began her report on her meetings with the youngling Korrah Hyymn in a clipped and professional tone, but as she continued on recounting her analysis of the girl's mental health, estimated intelligence and level of maturity, her countenance started to fray and her desperation became more and more obvious.

"-And when the Master tried to reason with her, she defended her positions by relating an in depth account of the Battle of Rakata Prime and the redemption of Bastila Shan from the Dark Side _allegedly_ by her love for Revan!"

Her hands gestured helplessly as if it would convey the…near hysteria she'd felt when she'd had to sit through her young charge recount _that_ to her. "She gave a word by word dialogue between Revan and Bastila, as if she'd been in the room with them! And-"

Master Yoda cleared his throat, not unkindly, and Vokara stopped and took a deep breath to regain her control over herself.

"And it's not just that. She's…talking and reasoning of things that Jedi _Masters_ have struggled to debate! And she is a _child!_ "

Whispers and hushed arguments started to echo around the Council Chambers. Several long minutes passed by as the Councilors turned and discussed between each other over the content of her report.

Yoda tapped his cane lighting and gestured to her. "Any more to add to your report do you, Master Che?"

Vokara straightened herself. There was only one possible course of action that she could see from this point.

"Masters, with all due respect, Korrah Hyymn needs to begin training immediately. Keeping her in the crèche is stagnating her abilities as well as allowing her more…radical ways of thinking to continue without the proper instruction. She is mentally sound; completely sane, but her intellect is desperate for challenging study."

The thoughtful mutterings started again, but softer and subdued this time. Most were in agreement.

"She _is_ a prodigy." Rancisis conceded to the Council.

And she was, but they could all feel it through the Force. Korrah Hyymn was also…something else. Unlike any being any of them had ever encountered.

Master Tor Difusal spoke up from his seat.

"It is agreed that she cannot stay in the crèche." He stroked his chin pensively. "It would be unusual, to have one as young as her to take the Initiate Trials, but her abilities are too advanced to remain unchecked. With her unprecedented level of sensitivity, she needs training." He looked around at his comrades. "We will put the decision to a vote.

One by one the Councilors put forth their votes and at the end of the meeting the decision was made.

Yoda tapped his gimmer cane once more as the meeting was adjourned.

"Decided it is. Take the Initiate Trials, young Korrah Hyymn will."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for your support and for taking the time to read 'Anomaly'! If you feel like doing so, please leave a review. Any constructive feedback is welcomed!**

 **When next we see Korrah several more years will have passed and there may be slight differences to what her expectations of life as a Jedi might have been. Only small changes so far, but the effects will be felt in the far future. I hope that you all will still be here to see that!**

 **Thank you all once again!**


	9. Chapter 8: Growing

**A/N: So, I have discovered that taking a week long road trip across three states while keeping up with online college classes during the weeks leading up to the end of a semester is not a great environment for meeting deadlines; be they academic or recreational. I'm rather irritated with myself for not being able to meet my self-imposed schedule, but you all make it worth it. I'm so happy with the response that I have gotten from you all regarding this story. Thank you for your support and patience! Please enjoy!**

 **Thank you to Ducky9002 for editing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, only my OC's.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Growing

Ever since the day she had found her consciousness inexplicably reborn into a new body and galaxy, Korrah had painstakingly forced herself to adjust to a variety of things; some easy, some hard.

One of the harder adjustments was, surprisingly, the simple act of waking up because sometimes, in the first split seconds as her mind turned back on before her eyes opened, she'd forget.

She lay there enjoying the quiet, watching the dust motes float in and out of the earliest rays of sunlight from a crack in the blinds. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes and welcomed the peace of the early morning that seemed to elude her in sleep.

She'd had another vision again. It seemed like every time she thought she was finally getting use to this new phenomenon the Force would throw a curveball at her in her sleep and she'd wish it would just stop and leave her alone.

Visions were just a huge pain in the ass! They would stick in her mind and make her dizzy as she tried to figure out what they could mean or related to the future. It had gotten so bad that she had finally stopped paying attention to them. However, at Master Che's suggestion, she had been keeping a journal of what she remembered for several years now. And once her entry was complete, she'd drop anymore thoughts on the matter. The results of this tactic had been far more helpful than she had expected. She didn't understand most of the visions anyway, so it was good to keep them off her mind.

Coding the journal in Japanese was an added level of assurance as well.

This time however, it wasn't the vision she'd had during the night that was bothering her right now. It was what had come afterwards, one of the rare instances she had dreamt after the Force-induced spectacle had finished.

Both of her families – past and present – having a nice picnic by a lakeside. Seeing all of their faces together like that had been…beautiful and heartbreaking. Her dad, André Sunner had been talking with Devahin and Sommer while Savah and Naomi were laughing with her twin boys at the water's edge. She could still hear the echoes of music drifting from where her twin sister – Reba – and Kenta had been seated, playing their guitars.

Each member of her family had eventually disappeared until only Savah and Devahin were left, but before the dream had ended, she'd suddenly noticed another person there. She mulled over who he might be because she'd never seen him before.

He'd been a boy around Kenta's age, maybe a year or so younger and an inch shorter with flat brown hair, dull green eyes and a lanky frame. He had been standing next to Savah and holding onto her hand when he turned around to meet her eyes and spoke just as the dream was fading away.

" _I'll take care of them."_

Korrah had no idea what that meant, but she didn't feel uneasy. Just confused and more than a little homesick.

"Korrah?"

She turned her head towards the voice and moved her covers aside to sit up. She placed her feet on the floor, stretching and yawning as she face the speaker lying in the bunk across from her.

"Good morning Roloh. What is it?"

Her friend sat up as well, rubbing at his eyes. "Are you okay? You feel…sad."

Korrah gave him a half smile. "Nah. I'm just a bit melancholy this morning."

Roloh blinked. "Bad dreams again?"

She shook her head in response. "No…good ones."

"Oh." The Iktotchi boy looked down. Then a great yawn split his face as Korrah stood up from her bed. She immediately started to rearrange the covers neatly.

"Are you leaving already?" he asked.

Korrah finished tucking the corner of her bed covers neatly and grabbed a clean tunic from a drawer below her bunk. "Yeah, I mean, its Exhibition Day today!" She kept her voice lowered despite her excitement so she didn't disturb the others still asleep in their bunks. "And yeah, sure, I'm not being allowed to compete this time since the Masters said I'm too young, but I still get to watch. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."

Roloh smiled and lay back in his bed. "Okay. Tell Qui-Gon that I'm cheering for him to win."

Korrah winked knowingly. "That's only if he gets lucky when he faces Tahl at the end."

He giggled. She'd told him all about how well-matched the two older Initiates were in lightsaber combat.

Korrah patted his head and quickly went to change into her tunic and leggings before returning to her bunk one last time for her boots and training saber.

It had already been three years since Master Yoda had come to the Heliost Clan crèche to visit her. The Grandmaster alongside Master A'kam had told Korrah that the Jedi Council was allowing her to take the Initiate Trials early. After taking what boiled down to a really long interview about the Jedi Code and going through the katas of various lightsaber forms, Korrah had been pronounced a Jedi Initiate.

She had originally been slated to be moved from the crèche and into the Initiate Dorms, but Master A'kam had persuaded the Council against this due to her young age in comparison to the other human Initiates. Korrah suspected that the Camaasi had just wanted to watch over her personally for a little bit longer. It was sweet, really.

In the end, Korrah was glad the crèche Master's request had been granted as she had not wanted to separate from Roloh for at least a few more years. She had been attending classes with Qui-Gon, Tahl and their red-headed friend Clee Rhara ever since then, but was still residing within the crèche.

The only thing that she had yet to accomplish was traveling to Ilum and participating in The Gathering, where she would retrieve her kyber crystal and then create her own lightsaber. But she was eight years old now and the next time an Initiate group would leave for the cold planet she'd be going with them!

Korrah reined in her excitement as her path crossed with Master A'kam. The Camaasi Jedi looked her up and down as the young girl bowed respectfully to her and sighed.

"Up already, Korrah?"

"Yes." She replied. "Is it too early for me to leave, Master?"

A'kam shook her furry head. "Go along and stay out of trouble. Watch carefully today during the tournament spars. It may be fun to spend a day competing against friends, but know that the Masters who will be attending are not necessarily looking at who wins, but for who shows discipline and good character in the face of defeat." She advised. "The time when you will participate will come soon, so take this to heart."

The young Initiate smiled and bowed once again before making her way out of the crèche to the official Initiate dorms.

By the time she got to the dorm where Qui-Gon and Tahl lived, the other Initiates were already up and buzzing about with excitement. She weaved her way around them and stopped in front of them. Standing alongside Tahl was the red-haired girl named Clee Rhara.

She didn't disliked the other girl, but the two of them were just not as close as Korrah was with Qui-Gon and Tahl. Friends of mutual friends, was an accurate description of their acquaintance. It was the same with Roloh, who was more Korrah's friend that Qui-Gon's at this point despite the older boy still making time to see them both.

Tahl saw her and greeted her cheerfully. "It's too bad you won't be out there with us, but we'll always make time to spar with you."

Qui-Gon smirked, crossing his arm as he posed confidently. "Just stand back and watch as I win this year's tournament for sure! Who knows? With all the Masters who'll be here I might even be chosen today!"

Korrah rolled her eyes and indulged in some unseen fun, pointing a finger in Tahl's face. "Don't slip." She said and ignored her friend's confused look as she rounded back around to Qui-Gon. "Good luck then. You're going to need it if you think you'll _finally_ going to beat Tahl today." She smirked impishly. "And even if she doesn't I'll take up that responsibility."

The older boy ruffled her hair despite her loud complaints, frizzing up her braid. "Maybe when you reach my armpits _midget_."

Clee laughed as she eyed Korrah who was trying to fix her hair while she glared down at Qui-Gon. The older boy was now nursing a bruised shin.

"I'll be watching you next year. I promise you now I won't go easy on you just because you're a youngling."

Korrah immediately rose to the challenge. "Oh, but you forget _I_ am an acknowledged genius. When I do get to compete, I'll be kicking you all over the dojos!" the younger girl shot back.

Clee slapped her on the back. "Yeah, you'll show everyone what you can do!"

Korrah gave her a full grin and thanked Clee for her words. The two continued conversing with Qui-Gon and Tahl animatedly as they exited the dorms.

* * *

The air was alive with excitement and anticipation inside the enormous tournament hall. Spar schedules had already been set up and commenced without issue. Every Initiate participating in Exhibition Day was trying to subtly glance around at the attending Jedi Masters and Knights, hoping that, Force-willing, they would attract the attention of one of them today.

Korrah spent the entire day standing on the sidelines, cheering for Qui-Gon, Tahl and Clee as they squared off against their assigned opponents.

Qui-Gon's tall frame was easy to pick out among the crowd. He was already showing superior skills as a duelist to that of his peers at the age of 10. His focus of the lightsaber form Ataru was a breathtaking sight to behold. He was constantly moving at Force-enhanced speeds Korrah doubted the fastest martial artist on Earth could have accomplished and with flexibility any Olympic gymnast would go green with envy over.

Tahl was also training as a practitioner of Form IV with as much skill and promise as her human friend. Her stripped eyes were narrowed and focused, but lit with a bright exhilaration as she danced around her latest spar. She deftly twirled away from her partner's glowing blade and landed the final point against their shoulder.

By the end of the competition, Clee had relocated to Korrah's side after being beaten out of the tournament and the two cheered loudly as Qui-Gon and Tahl faced each other as their final opponents.

It was an awesome match. The two friends knew each other moves so well that neither could wrangle an advantage over the other for several minutes, but Tahl soon appeared to be gaining ground. Then, by a stroke of chance, Tahl slipped on a patch of sweat and stumbled. Qui-Gon quickly pressed forward and stood over the Noorian girl several seconds later holding his saber to her neck.

With a wry grin she yielded and they bowed respectfully, match concluded with Qui-Gon declared the winner of Exhibition Day's tournament.

Amid the following backslapping and congratulations Korrah and her friends directed at Qui-Gon, she recognized out of her peripheral vision the elegant form of Jedi Knight Dooku standing off by the walls with an aloof look of careful consideration on his face as he looked at Qui-Gon.

" _Perhaps his claim of being chosen today wasn't so far off from the truth."_ She thought. Satisfaction and pride filled her at this. Sure, Qui-Gon was an over-confident dork and maybe even a bit of an idiot at times, but she could still see glimpses of the awesome Jedi Master he would one day become. If Master Dooku chose him as his Padawan, that would be an awesome thing to witness. And one less vision to lose sleep over.

Korrah's day concluded as she walked by herself down the corridors of the Temple to the crèche and spied Master Shiia, the caretaker of the Initiate Dorms her friends resided in, speaking with Master Dooku. Even though she couldn't hear what they were discussing she felt a soft thrum of confirmation to her earlier thoughts ripple through the Force.

She went to bed that night promising Roloh that she'd tell him all about the tournament over breakfast, but didn't mention that Qui-Gon might not be with them to embellish her account the next morning.

* * *

It was certainly lonelier at the Temple with two friends now ascended to Padawans. It turned out that Tahl had also been selected by another Jedi – Korrah couldn't remember the Master's name – and was always just as busy.

There were some events Korrah thought were worth celebrating though, such as turning nine years old and welcoming Roloh into the ranks of Jedi Initiate, having successfully passed his Initiate Trials. The two younglings had finally been moved out of the crèche together and Korrah suspected Master A'kam's watchful fretting denoted some well-concealed attachment to her, but she wasn't going to be the one to point that out. She silently admitted to herself that she'd miss the Camaasi Jedi.

With Qui-Gon and Tahl moved out of the dorms and into their respective Master's apartments, the only familiar face was Clee Rhara, but they still only spoke in passing.

Then the day arrived when Korrah and Roloh ran out together onto one of the Temple landing platforms with half a dozen other Initiates and stood waiting impatiently, hefting their packs over their backs.

"Does anyone know what we're doing?" a Devaronian girl named Likya asked. She brushed her white furry bangs out of her face as she looked at those around her.

A Cerean Initiate scratched her long head. "Based on the schedule and size of this group, we should be headed for the planet of Ilum for The Gathering, I suppose." She concluded.

"That is correct, young Sha-Iun-Jubbin."

Korrah looked behind herself as she and the rest of the Initiates focused their attention to the young man walking up to where they were waiting. Padawan Sifo-Dyas clasped his hands behind his back and intoned his words calmly.

"All of you will be traveling to one of the Jedi Order's most sacred of places. On the planet of Ilum, you will have the honor to take part in The Gathering and recover the kyber crystal that you will use to create your own lightsabers." He paused as ripple of cheers came from several younglings, then continued. "This is no simple task. There will be challenges and dangers that each of you will have to face if you are to succeed. But trust in the Force and let it guide you and I have no doubt you can overcome them."

Padawan Sifo-Dyas met each youngling's eyes, seemingly holding his gaze with Korrah for several seconds longer than the others before he turned and led them onto the ship waiting for them.

Korrah was in the middle of conversing with Roloh and another Anzati Initiate when the ship broke through Coruscant's atmosphere and entered hyperspace. Korrah's stomach heaved as a horrible vertigo sensation overcame her and she quickly curled up into herself, groaning.

It took all of her willpower not to be sick all over her friend.

" _Noooooooo. This is going to stick with me forever isn't it?!"_ she mentally sobbed. _"Someone up there hates me!"_

Roloh rubbed her back soothingly, trying to comfort her.

"It's alright Korrah, just…uh, it'll only be for a few hours, I think. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The suffering girl motioned limply with one of her hands, but didn't lift her head from her knees. "Yeah…I packed some medicine for this in my bag. Could you reach it for me?"

The small pills were soon dropped into her outstretched hand along with a small canteen of water. Quickly downing both, Korrah returned to her fetal position.

The Anzati boy she'd been talking with earlier grinned roguishly. "Wow. I've never heard of a space-sick Jedi before, Korrah."

She dained to glare at him over the tops of her knees. "Keep it up Zaffe and I'll aim for your boots if I puke."

The boy quickly brought his feet up onto his seat as Roloh scolded him for his teasing, still rubbing Korrah's back. The steady stroking slowly lulled her mind into a light doze until Korrah found herself unsure of whether she was completely asleep or awake-

 _The chill of the air was biting, but that didn't bother her as long as she kept moving. Where exactly was she going again? She knew she was looking for something; sure of it, but what exactly-_

 _A single musical note sounded just ahead of her and she sped up, running around a murky corner as she drew closer to the music._

 _There!_

 _She could see a bright spot of…was it sunlight? A star? She reached forward and-_

"-orrah, time to wake up."

Her eyes blinked open and she looked up to see Padawan Sifo-Dyas lightly shaking her shoulder.

"We've landed on Ilum. It's time for you to put on your coat or you'll freeze in this weather."

Korrah nodded. "Yes, Padawan Sifo-Dyas."

She stood up, nausea gone. Grateful for the ship's lack of movement she quickly donned her protective winter gear. Gathered together with the other younglings, she held onto Roloh's hand as they followed after Padawan Sifo-Dyas through the driving wind and snow. Their surroundings reminded her of a blizzard she had watched from her college dorm windows in Alaska one year.

A shiver crawled up her arm from Roloh's hand and through her own body.

" _The caves better be close. Being out in this kind of weather for any length of time is foolishness."_ She thought.

She was soon answered as her group approached a tall wall of ice formations. Padawan Sifo-Dyas stopped them in front of it and instructed them over the sound of the wind.

"Focus, younglings. Feel the Force around you and together break the ice so that we can enter."

Korrah breathed through the high collar of her thick, hooded coat. Reaching out her senses, she lifted her free hand in front of her and felt the Force move outward and over the ice. She felt Roloh do the same beside her and all around as the other Initiates joined in. In under a minute, the ice that had been barring their way cracked and fell revealing the tall doorway to the chamber that led to the caves.

Shivering again Korrah and the others scurried forward with Padawan Sifo-Dyas leading the way once more. They entered a massive cavern. The walls had been carved into long geometric shapes and within were pillars and statues of hooded Jedi, two of which stood posed ready in lightsaber stances at the door and two more positioned further in with neutral stances as silent sentinels. It was noticeably much warmer inside, but before Korrah could figure out how, she spotted a small figure sitting in the center of the chamber up ahead of them.

"Master Yoda!" Roloh called out and pulled Korrah forward to the Jedi Grandmaster.

Korrah stood between Roloh and Zaffe as Sifo-Dyas moved to Yoda's side. The older Jedi Master smiled kindly at them.

"Welcome younglings. Prepared are you, for what lies ahead?"

"Yes, Master." They intoned together.

Yoda nodded approvingly. "To be a Jedi, an extension of the Force you must be. Great responsibility you must have."

Korrah nodded along with the other Initiates.

" _I wonder what I'll be facing once I go inside."_ She glanced behind Yoda to the thick ice blocking the door to the crystal laden caves. _"I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be some kind of life lesson that comes with getting your crystal."_

Yoda's voice brought her back into focus.

"To defend others, a duty of a Jedi this is. How is this done, hm?" he brought forth his small lightsaber and ignited the blade, suspending it in the air with the Force. "Soon, build your own lightsabers you will, younglings. But first harvest your crystal each of you must."

Zaffe elbowed Korrah. He was grinning and bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. Korrah looked over at Roloh who seemed less enthusiastic for some reason. She squeezed his hand and he smiled up at her.

"The heart of the lightsaber your crystal is. Focus of the Force from the Jedi it does."

Master Yoda put away his lightsaber and manipulated the contraption on the roof of the chamber so that the large crystals focused the incoming sunlight onto the ice covering the door. It immediately melted into a stunningly beautiful waterfall until dissipating over the floor and leaving the way clear.

Yoda began speaking again. "Jedi you wish to be? Then enter the caves you must. But know that trust yourselves you must; trust each other you must and succeed you will."

"This is so amazing!" Likya whispered even as she shivered and blew on her hands.

They approached the door and stared into the dark caverns within. Sifo-Dyas gave them some final advice. "Find your crystals and return here immediately. The door will only remain open for as long as the sun is up. After that, the door will be frozen over once more and you will be stuck inside the caves until the next rotation."

"How long is that?" Zaffe asked Sha-Iun-Jibbun.

She scratched her head and quickly computed. "About nineteen days."

The Anzati blinked owlishly. "Oh."

Roloh hesitantly spoke up. "How will we know which crystal is ours?"

Sifo-Dyas smiled at them. "You will know. Trust in the Force and don't waste your time. Go on now."

Korrah glanced upwards as she entered the caves. The ice was already forming at the very top of the doorway.

" _How does ice form that fast? Is it even normal water? I mean it can't be that cold can it?"_

Taking a deep breath she pressed forward with the others. The darkness inside was slightly ominous, but Korrah's eyes quickly adjusted.

"These caves are made entirely of ice. How are we supposed to find the crystals?" a human boy whose name Korrah didn't know wondered out loud.

Korrah shrugged. "Master Yoda and Padawan Sifo-Dyas both said to trust the Force, so that will probably have a big part in it."

This explanation seemed to satisfy him as he continued looking around the walls.

The group soon found themselves entering a small room with three doors leading to different hallways. The Initiates stood there and looked around.

Likya rubbed her hands together. "So…which one do we go through?"

None of the younglings came up with a definitive answer as Korrah looked at each of the doorways. Quickly coming up with an idea she walked over to the side of the door that they had all just come through and picked up a stalagmite. It broke off of the floor easily enough and she quickly brought it to the center of the room where she sat down.

Zaffe tilted his head at her. "What are you doing Korrah?"

She placed the thick piece of ice on the ground. "A test of faith." She replied. "Who wants to play 'Spin the Icicle'?"

She spun the broken stalagmite and watched it turn until it came to a stop with the tin end pointing directly towards the door in the middle. Korrah nodded once to herself. "That way it is then. See you all when I get back."

She got up to leave, but Roloh grabbed her sleeve. "You're going alone?"

Korrah smiled and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Yeah, but I'll be back before you know it. Don't worry, Roloh, if you can't decide which door to try, just try spinning the icicle and go whichever way it points alright? You'll find your crystal."

It seemed as thought the other Initiates had decided to copy her and waited to spin the icicle as well. Two went to the door on left, while Zaffe had already started heading down the hallway through the door on the right.

Korrah patted Roloh once more and jogged off through her chosen door. For several minutes she was met by nothing but the sight of ice wherever she looked. She finally slowed down to a walk and meandered forward as a more sedate pace.

"So, how is this going to go, I wonder." She mused aloud. "I really don't want to have to break through the ice in case I take too long and the door gets frozen over, but…hey wait."

She came to a stop in front of another fork in the path. Glancing both left and right she stopped and pondered for a few seconds. Exhaling slowly she closed her eyes and reached out with her senses.

"Um...just use the Force. Okay. Where is it leading me, then?"

She tentatively stepped forward, slightly swaying as she felt the invisible eddies of energy flowing around her.

 _"Go...left?"_ Korrah turned towards the vaguely indicated direction. Then she heard a loud _crack-_

Korrah's eyes snapped open. "Oh krif-!"

But she was too late to jump back. The ice broke underneath her feet and she fell with a strangled yelp. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt when she landed and slid across the icy floor below. It was much darker here than the hallways she had previously been in. She jumped back up and shook out her coat, trying to get the stray bits of ice that had found their way inside out.

"Ah! Cold, _coldcoldcold,_ jeez, that's cold!"

She slipped and fell against the wall. Huffing she ran a hand through her hair and rubbed the spot that she had banged on the ice.

" _Oww_ …well, that happened then. What now?"

Korrah squinted at the area around her. She could almost swear that she could hear something, but…

Picking herself up, she moved on; climbing over ice forms and ducking under stalactites until she was sure she could hear something. It was a faint musical note, but kind of off. Like when Laura's sister would tune her guitar.

Close…but not quite. She needed to get closer.

Korrah crawled through a small opening in the ice and entered a small room. Inside, it looked like at least half of the room had collapsed in on itself at some point. Underneath all the broken ice chunks she could hear it. That clear note calling her to come and find it.

Korrah smiled, suddenly very excited. _"That's got to be my crystal! It underneath all this and I just have to get to it."_

She spent several minutes pushing aside blocks of ice until she realized that what she sought was probably at the bottom of the pile. Several hundred pounds of ice separated her from her goal. She sat down and groaned.

"Argh! This'll take too long. How am I going to move all of this ice out of the way?"

She sat there wishing she somehow had a track hoe and a dump truck to help her excavate the cave when Sifo-Dyas' words came back to her.

" _Trust the Force."_

Korrah sighed. "Alright. Here it goes again."

Crossing her legs, she ignored the cold seeping in through her clothes and breathed deeply, focusing on the Force. The small eddies and currents were moving about her in an odd fashion. What was it that they wanted her to do? Closing her eyes, she lifted her hands and slowly directed the Force around her, proceeding to move it carefully. It felt kind of like she was trying to unravel a bad tangle in a skein of yarn or complete a puzzle while blindfolded. Minutes passed by as she pushed and pulled until the Force seemed to 'fit' just right and-

The music surged forth in her ears and Korrah's eyes snapped open. The cave before her that had previously been collapsed was now completely restored! And there in the middle was a small, glittering light. Her excitement returned and she rushed forward.

It was her crystal! Glowing brightly and colored an odd, pale yellow. Like a flake of stardust.

Korrah carefully plucked it from the ice and brought it up close to her face to study it.

" _But I thought most Jedi use green or blue. What on Earth is yellow supposed to mean?"_

She couldn't bring up anything from her memories – except some useless information about the spectral significance as pertaining to Green Lanterns – but these thoughts were pushed asides as she remembered that she was on a time limit.

The newly restored cave now revealed a flight of stairs carved into the ice which Korrah ascended happily. Keeping to a light jog, she soon found herself approaching the way to the entrance and almost ran right into Roloh as he came around a bend.

She steadied him quickly. "Hey! You're here! Did you find your crystal?"

The Iktotchi boy beamed up at her and presented a green crystal shining from within his open palm. "Yes! I did it! I can't believe it, but I did it!"

Happiness filled her chest at her friend's success and Korrah smiled, grabbed his hand in hers. "Me too! Come on, let's go show the others."

The two of them ducked down under the ice creeping down over the doorway. It brushed over the back of their coats, but otherwise they were free. Several of the other Initiates were already there and those still inside came out several minutes behind them. The Anzati Zaffe was the last one to come out and ended up making a mad dash for the door, sliding under the ice just before it sealed off the caves. He grinned up at them all and held up a shining blue crystal from his position on the floor proudly.

The rest of the Initiates started showing off their prizes, all of them either green or blue. When Korrah proffered her for inspection there were some skeptical voices.

"Are you _sure_ that's your crystal, Korrah?"

"I've never seen a yellow crystal before."

"Well, the Temple Guards have those yellow pike sabers, so maybe it's real?"

"You sure you didn't just pick up some yellow ice?"

Master Yoda came over and held out his hand. "See your crystal, may I, young Korrah?"

She walked forward and let him inspect it. The other Initiates crowded around to see what he'd say.

The tiny Jedi studied the object for several seconds before nodding. "An interesting discovery you have made. Uncommon this color is, but a true crystal you have found, Korrah. A special meaning for this occurrence I think."

The younglings started to chatter until Padawan Sifo-Dyas clapped his hands. "Alright then. Congratulations to all of you for successfully completing The Gathering, young Jedi. The sun has now set and we will be leaving the planet shortly so all of you follow me back to the ship."

Korrah almost couldn't stop staring at her small yellow kyber crystal, but she tore her eyes away from it and placed it carefully in her breast pocket, safe and secure. Excited as she was for her rare find, Master Yoda's words made her wonder.

" _What does this mean for me?"_

* * *

 **A/N: There! It's finally done! Man, this chapter was hard to get out. More to come in a few weeks, but hopefully this was enjoyable for you all. I'm thinking of possibly doing an omake for both 'Roloh's birthday' and 'Roloh's quest for his crystal'. Let me know if any of you are interested.**

 **As always, thank you for reading 'Anomaly' and please leave a review! I love to receive feedback. And I hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9: Padawan

**A/N: So, it has come to my attention that Korrah is in danger of becoming 'Mary-Sue' and the reviewer who pointed this out to me made some good points. To them I say, thank you very much! Constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **Thank you all once again for reading 'Anomaly'. We will be advancing the plot within this chapter and some questions that I've been posed with will be answered. Hope it delivers! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. (*sigh*)**

* * *

Chapter 9: Padawan

Leaning into the later afternoon hours, Korrah sat in the Archives surrounded by countless holo-books. There were thousands upon thousands of records within this place, documenting any and all kinds of information from throughout the known, and even unknown, parts of the Galaxy. It was one of the pride and joys of the Jedi Temple and of the Order as a whole.

Amidst this treasure trove of knowledge, the ten-year-old girl finished scanning her eyes over the last line of data from her most recent acquisition. Dropping it to the side she picked up a datapad and checked off the final title from the list of recommended readings which had been given to her by her instructor as an 'extra-curricular study'. Korrah heavily suspected that Master Jugon must have been warned in advance from both Master A'kam and Master Che about her tendency of questioning anything and everything in relation to the Code. On the first day of his class he had called her aside and handed her the datapad and stated in no uncertain terms that he expected all titles to be read and checked off by the end of this week.

And after spending that time pushing the limits of her allotted free time that she could spend in the Archives before curfew and righteously abusing her checkout privileges, Korrah had come to realize _why_.

She knew nothing.

In comparison to the tens of thousands of years of history in this new world she lived in, she barely registered as a naïve child much less anything avant guard.

Registering her exhaustion, Korrah massaged her temples allowing the muscles in her neck and back to relax for the first time in a few hours. _"It is a…truly cathartic moment when one realizes you are actually an idiot. Not by choice but rather by ignorance."_

She could already hear a dualistic voice that sounded like Master A'kam and Che referencing back to the Jedi Code: 'There is no ignorance, there is only knowledge'.

She mentally cringed. _"Well_ _ **now**_ _it makes sense!…Sort of. More than it used to! At least that one line."_

The last week of self-study had illuminated this to her. She was ignorant, both of the deeper philosophical understandings of the Order and of the Galaxy around her.

Granted, it's not like she had found anything during her studies that had proven her personal views _wrong_ , per say…but she had been forced to admit that there was more to learn and broaden her understanding of what she _thought_ she knew. Or what the Masters had been talking about. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. Not since the first few years of college anyway.

She half-heartedly picked up another holo-book that had caught her fancy while fetching another earlier that day, but her eyes were going crossed again as she tried to focus on it so she let it drop. Resting her forehead on the desk she sighed.

" _Ow. Thinking hurts…time for a break."_

Thankfully, Korrah was already finished with her usual load of homework so she could just skip dinner and go plop down on her bed for an early night. Standing up, she gathered the holo-books she intended to read through later and walked to the front desk.

" _Master Jugon will probably want a comprehensive report on my findings next week too."_ She idly guessed. _"I suppose it's my own fault for jumping to the conclusion that just because I know_ _ **of**_ _this galaxy from my previous life I automatically knew what I needed to about the Jedi Code, but it's becoming quite apparent just how wrong that was."_ She thought disbelievingly, then mentally winced as she recalled the memory of a passionate tirade Ken had once made (while slightly drunk) to her sister Reba at her family's Christmas reunion about how:

" _Watching the 'Lord of the Rings' movies does NOT mean that you know the_ _ **books**_ _!"_

At the time, Laura had just laughed at her sister's misfortune of being singled out by one of Ken's geek rants, but Korrah was suddenly much more sympathetic, as she was now feeling the same abashment right now. The situation was similar enough.

Korrah's stomach growled demandingly as she exited the Archives and she rethought her earlier decision to skip dinner. Heading in the direction of the cafeteria her face lit up when she saw two familiar faces striding through the hallways.

She quickly picked up her pace to meet them. "Master Dooku, Qui-Gon! You're back!"

The Master-Padawan pair stopped and greeted her. Master Dooku was as regally refined as ever, even clothed in the humble spun tunics of the Jedi he carried himself like the noble he was. Korrah noted with some irritation that Qui-Gon had gotten taller _again_ during his time away. At twelve years old and already creeping over five feet tall, at this rate Qui-Gon was going to be a giant by the time he finished growing. Korrah was growing at a healthy rate herself, but her friend still inclined his head down to look at her.

She had a sneaking feeling that he did that on purpose too.

Korrah bowed quickly before asking. "Are you headed for the Council?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, we just left actually. It took longer than usual as the mission was pretty…eventful. How about catching up over dinner? Although, it's kind of late. Have you already eaten?" As he said this, he looked to the side at his Master in question.

Dooku nodded once, giving his permission to go with his friend. He turned to leave, but Korrah called out to him.

"Master Dooku, would it be alright if I come with Qui-Gon to speak with you after we eat? There are some chapters regarding Form II from Master Vib'eet's _The Duelist's Manual_ that I would like to have your insight on."

Dooku raised an aristocratic eyebrow at her. "That is an advanced text for an Initiate to be studying, Korrah. Tell me, have the standards of swordplay been raised since I've been away?"

Korrah shrugged slightly. "Master Jugon gave me the title when I asked him about theories for combining lightsaber forms. He said he had it referenced to him from a friend. Didn't say who though."

"I see. And you've developed an interest in Makashi."

The girl grimaced. "No, yes, or well, somewhat Master. Rather the possibility of combining Form II with Form III. I'm already pretty set on specializing in the latter of the two, but I still don't want to give up studying Form II just yet. I need something to compensate for Soresu's lack of offensive technique and Makashi just feels more natural than trying to use any of the other forms."

Dooku nodded approvingly, appearing vaguely pleased. "Very well. I will oblige. Accompany Qui-Gon back to his quarters after you finish dining and I will see what you need me to clarify." The Jedi Master strode away without another word, his brown robe flaring dramatically behind him.

Qui-Gon eyed his young friend faux-suspiciously. "You're not trying to usurp my position as Master Dooku's Padawan from me are you?"

She whapped him on the arm good-naturedly. "He's the greatest duelist in the Order today aside from Master Yoda. Any instruction from him is a boon. You don't know how lucky you are Qui-Gon! And if playing the 'Best-Friend-of-His-Padawan-Card' can get me some instruction then by all means."

They laughed and walked in the direction of the cafeteria together.

"I think he warmed up to you faster than he did to me." Qui-Gon commented and then ignored Korrah's overenthusiastic eye-roll.

"The man has an 'Eternal Teacher Complex' so obvious I'm surprised more younglings don't approach him for advice. Put on an honest face and a respective tone of voice and he caves like wet flimsi."

Qui-Gon couldn't help the wry smile at her flippant observation of his Jedi Master. It was true after all, but Master Dooku's imposing countenance and near constant scowl usually intimidated any Initiate who might have taken advantage of this fact. Korrah had already figured it out, though how she had done so in the short time that she had spent in the older man's presence, Qui-Gon didn't know. He tugged at his tunics. There hadn't been a chance for him to change yet since arriving back from his mission and they were starting to become uncomfortable. He was looking forward to some food, a shower and collapsing onto his bed for the night if his Master didn't insist on evening meditation first.

"Well, callously taking advantage of connections aside, I'm so proud of you for being such a diligent academic. Planning to join Tahl in the Archives after Knighthood?"

Korrah pulled a face. "Oh, ew, no. No way. She can have them to herself. Don't get me wrong it's a wonderfully enlightening place to spend time in, but I have places to go and things to do out in the Galaxy."

Qui-Gon nodded, understanding her meaning. "Is she in the Temple?" he asked eagerly.

The small hope within him dimmed when Korrah shook her head. "She left with her Master two days ago. Should be back within the month I hope. She's a really big help in finding relevant materials."

Qui-Gon motioned towards the other holo-books tucked under her arm. "And those?"

She shrugged. "For history class." She explained briefly and handed them over for him to see for himself. He inspected each of them and his eyebrows rose a little more with every title as they walked.

"Let's see, ' _Various Commentaries on the History of the Jedi Order_ ', ' _Philosophical Principles of the Je'daii Order_ ', and ' _A Study of Tython: The Lost Homeworld_ '."

His eyes had glazed over a bit after reading the third title. He shot her a very bland look. "Aren't you a little old for bedtime stories?"

His words confused Korrah. "What are you talking about?"

He rolled his blue eyes. It was an increasingly common practice whenever he was with his young friend. "I'm just saying these aren't the standard Initiate sources for class and I personally wouldn't be surprised if you could fall asleep just from reading the titles."

She snatched them back away from him. "Master Nu said they were good primers!" She defended hotly before muttering. "It's my worse class, so I needed to find something that actually interested me for my upcoming essay if I'm going to keep up."

Qui-Gon smirked and held his hands up placating. "Well, if you're not too busy overachieving again tomorrow, want to spar?"

Korrah lit up as they entered the cafeteria. "Really? Awesome! We'll meet at the dojos first thing after classes." She grabbed his hand and hurried forward, her hunger now returning at the smell of food. "Come on. If we hurry we can eat and I can get Master Dooku to answer my questions before curfew."

Qui-Gon sighed good-naturedly as she pulled him along. "Oh, yes. It promises to be a _thrilling_ evening."

* * *

The next day found Korrah and Qui-Gon joining blades on the dojo mats with Roloh watching from the side. Their Iktotchi friend had been very happy to hear that Qui-Gon had returned from his mission the night before and had insisted on joining them.

Their green and yellow blades hissed and crackled as they met once again, then Korrah executed a turn and broke off the engagement. Qui-Gon was far too strong for her to try and meet head on. She could feel sweat running down the back of her neck and soaking her tunics as she maneuvered another swipe away from her person. This was the longest she had ever lasted against her friend, but she could feel that she was probably going to lose again.

Qui-Gon simply had too many advantages over her besides his greater height and reach, such as his personal one-on-one training with one of the greatest duelists in the Order for the past couple of years. No matter how 'advanced' she may be, there was only so far genius could compensate for physical attributes, or in her case, lack thereof. However, there was one advantage that she had always had and that was her speed. As he rained down a torrent of offensive blows she would immediately move to deflect or avoid his strikes.

She could see he was sweating through his tunics too and beginning to tire. That was the secret second edge that she'd been developing while he was away. Form IV, Ataru, was a high energy offensive combat form which relied heavily on acrobatics and relentless attacks coming from all sides. By contrast, Korrah's choice to specialize in Form III, Soresu, made her fighting style endurance based and almost purely defensive.

At this point in time, Korrah might be able to beat her best friend if the spar were to be decided by stamina, but Qui-Gon would probably win anyway through his greater level of skill and disarm her before it came to that. Still, vindication flowed through her and she grinned despite herself. Given the amount of time and effort her much stronger opponent had been required to use in this spar, it seemed that the hours she'd spent pushing herself through the katas until they flowed smoothly and continuously were paying off.

Qui-Gon's lightsaber flashed on her left and the green blade came in aimed at her thigh. Korrah parried and quickly deflected another strike off to the side. Taking a chance, she employed a Makashi jab at Qui-Gon's shoulder immediately followed by a swipe at his legs. Her yellow blade singed his tabard and Qui-Gon's eyes widened for a second before he recovered and brought his lightsaber around, blocking her follow up strike from catching his knees.

Either Master Dooku had already taught him how to defend against that move or he really _had_ been listening in on her conversation with the older Jedi the night before while he was supposed to be 'meditating'.

Unfortunately, her offensive move had given him an opening in her defense. Korrah's arms trembled as she tried to pull herself back into her protective center, but Qui-Gon landed several heavy blows in retaliation that destabilized her stance. The last one tore her lightsaber out of her grip and left her with his lightsaber held inches away from her vulnerable chest. Her lightsaber deactivated as it hit the ground and they stood for a second catching their breath and smiles spread over their faces.

Korrah nodded at the lightsaber pointed at her chest and yielded. "Solah."

Qui-Gon deactivated his weapon as Korrah reached out and called her own back to herself with the Force.

She had lost, true, but her friend's heavy breathing filled her with the satisfaction of knowing that she'd at least made him work for the win.

They walked over to Roloh who handed them both containers filled with water. Korrah threw her head back and chugged several mouthfuls before laughing.

"Ha! New record. I almost had you that time too."

Qui-Gon finished drinking his water in several large swigs and brushed his sweaty hair off his forehead.

"Thank the Force you didn't or Master would have me doing drills till tomorrow morning if he heard of me being disarmed with a Makashi maneuver. It was a good move though, not many people are as familiar with the form as me and probably would have fallen for it, but you got impatient."

She shrugged. "I've been wanting to try it out since speaking with Master Dooku last night. Was there anything else?"

Qui-Gon motioned towards her person. "You definitely understood the technique, but forgot to keep your footwork in mind. Master's always lecturing me on the importance of footwork in dueling. When you lost your rhythm after you attacked, it kept you from recovering defensively afterwards."

Roloh grinned knowingly at Korrah. "You might have more luck on the offensive if you didn't always aim for the knees. Your opponent's bound to catch on if you don't vary your attacks."

She nodded, accepting their advice. "Right. I'll remember to work on that."

Qui-Gon smiled at Roloh. "Your turn. Ready?"

The young boy smiled back and they walked out onto the mats. Igniting his own blade, Roloh bowed in sync with Qui-Gon and took up their stances before leaping forward to engage one another.

Korrah sat down against one of the pillars and watched them dance around each other wielding twin blades of green plasma.

Taking a nearby cloth, she wiped away the sweat from her lightsaber's handle and started picking at the grit that had somehow found its way under the grip. Korrah kept half of her attention on Roloh and Qui-Gon's sparring on the mats as she stared at her weapon.

The design that she had come up with after The Gathering looked heavily influenced by the basic set up of a katana hilt. It had a circular piece of metal below the emitter and magnetic stabilizing ring which acted as the tsuba. The length of the lightsaber was much longer than average, more than capable of accommodating both of her hands due to her habit of employing the double-handed grip rather than single. The longer handle gave her better leverage and control of the blade, a leftover habit from long lost kendo practice.

Finding her yellow crystal in the Caves of Ilum had been a rare event. There were other sparse planets where kyber crystals could be found but the crystals that originated from Ilum consistently only came in the colors of blue or green. Thus, generation after generation of Jedi usually harvested their crystals from the ice planet until blue and green blades dominated the near entirety of the Order.

It wasn't like it was impossible for Ilum to have yellow crystals as well as blue and green. Korrah mused that due to having been buried under several hundred pounds of ice, maybe it wasn't so strange it had been undiscovered for so long.

Her attention drifted back to her two friends carrying on with their spar. It was a shame that Tahl was away from the Temple for a few more weeks. The Noorian would often spar with Korrah and Roloh when she wasn't busy with her Master and probably would have had some more advice to offer. Watching her fight it out against Qui-Gon was always cool too.

Roloh lasted several more minutes longer before his human opponent caught him across the chest. The low powered lightsaber blade singed his tabards just as he was bringing up an overhead swing and he gave a rueful expression as Qui-Gon and he bowed respectfully closing the match. It had been the expected outcome between the two, Roloh wasn't as much of a fighter as his friends.

"You're hesitating a lot in your movements."

Roloh grimaced and looked away, embarrassed. "I know, sorry. I just, I'm fine against training droids and reviewing our katas, but whenever I have to face someone when we're paired up in class, I can't stop worrying about hurting whoever it is."

He clipped his saber to his belt as Qui-Gon smiled and clapped a hand over his shoulder. They walked off the mats.

"Hey, compassion is the greatest trait a Jedi possesses. And we're still young. Keep up your practice and you'll overcome your reluctance. Just remember, the best defense is an unstoppable offense." He advised sagely.

"It won't save you."

Qui-Gon stopped and stared at Korrah. His friend's hazel eyes were looking straight into his blue one with a sudden strong emotion he couldn't name.

"Ataru's greatest weakness is its lack of defense. Once someone breaks your attacks and gets past your guard there's little you can do if you don't have some kind of back up to compensate."

No one spoke as an awkward silence rang between the three of them. Qui-Gon and Roloh shared a quick look.

Ever since they first met, Korrah was moreover than not calm and thoughtful with a dry sarcastic wit, almost always teasing and ready to laugh, even indulging in over dramatics. But then there were these short moments in which the easy-going part of herself would slip off and she'd become too serious. There was a weight in what she said during these times that always grabbed their attention.

Korrah blinked as if just realizing the sudden change in the mood. Her face quickly lost its severity as she heaved a deep breath, shoulders falling into a casual stance.

"I mean freakish height aside, you're going to be in real trouble if you ever square off against someone who has a plan and is actually capable of deviating from it."

Her familiar ribbing was an obvious attempt to cover up her sudden change in intensity, but it dissipated the awkwardness around them and the two boys breathed in relief. She had seemingly snapped out of whatever thoughts had turned her serious, but her words still hung on Qui-Gon's mind.

He knew Korrah was gifted in the Unifying Force and had constant visions due to this connection. Usually she just gave a light complaint about it here and there. Except for one particularly _memorable_ incident when he had made the mistake of pointing out the dark circles under her eyes which had somehow set off a ten minute rant about the inconvenience and lack of substantial usefulness they provided. Something about how 'man meets his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it and other such unhelpful gundark-chssk'.

Her words, not his.

But just now, he couldn't help but worry. Maybe she'd recently had a vision that was distressing her. There'd been a look in her eyes that denoted…something. He couldn't define what it was though.

He still rebelled at the idea of trying anything other than Ataru.

Sure, it wasn't a bad idea. Just something he'd think of later.

Korrah pulled a disgusted face as she pulled at her robes. "Ugh, I'm going to change. I'd say we go for an early dinner, how about you two?"

Roloh and Qui-Gon agreed and parted ways with her as they headed to the freshers. Korrah showered quickly and finished dressing in clean tunics when her eyes caught on her reflection in the mirror just as she was toweling her hair dry. She stood still, taking in her personal appearance.

She could barely remember what Laura had looked like now, but as she stared at herself, certain features stood out to her mind as odd or out of place. Her hazel eyes were familiar enough even if the shape seemed different. Her cheekbones looked too high and sharp. She still had baby fat lingering around her pointed jaw, though mandatory physical activity was making an obvious attempt at erasing it. Her hair was a much darker brown than Laura's had been, black now that it was wet and long enough to reach her waist with a long, prominent widow's peak centered down the middle of her forehead that she knew she had never had before.

Korrah suddenly felt extremely self-conscious standing alone staring at herself like this. She looked…alien somehow. Certainly still human, somewhat pretty in a healthy kind of way, but the more she gazed at her reflection the more it disturbed her.

She looked down, away from her face and noticed her hands clenched into tight fists. Willing herself to relax them she realized with a numb sort of dread that they were different too. Longer and slimmer, with fingers that weren't crooked and showed thick callouses from lightsaber training. They were perhaps even more disturbing than her face.

The ten year old girl shook herself, bravely facing the mirror again.

" _There's nothing wrong with my reflection. It's just me. I look fine."_ She told herself.

A cold weight settled in her chest until she couldn't stand it anymore. She turned away from the mirror and fled from the room.

* * *

A couple days went by and Korrah was once again sitting in the Archives reading, when a humming in the Force alerted her to the presence of another person nearby. Curious, she looked over her shoulder and saw the neat visage of Jedi Knight Sifo-Dyas walking up to her.

Korrah returned his smile and greeted him. "Hi Master. How was your mission to Aleen?"

Sifo-Dyas gave a stale laugh and a rueful expression relaxed his tan face. He looked over her shoulder as he came to a stop next to her. "Eventful. It's fortunate that the Aleena and Kindalo are reasonable races, but the squatting pirates hiding on their planet and disrupting the planet's biospheres, much less so. But how have you been doing, Korrah? What is it you're reading now?"

She held up her recent find, _The Mystery of Kreia: A Broken Philosophy,_ and eagerly started talking about it.

Sifo-Dyas had been knighted immediately following his supervision of Korrah's group of Initiates to and from The Gathering on Ilum several years ago. Ever since then, her encounters with the young Jedi Knight, while random, had become more and more frequent. Now in his mid-twenties, Sifo-Dyas' countenance had lost the last vestiges of Padawan-hood, standing just over six feet tall and his black hair had since grown out of that horrid Padawan cut. The top half was now kept in a small top knot secured at the back of his head with a short beard covering his jaw. It was kind of cool because Korrah thought it made him look like a Korean-samurai.

She paused in the middle of extoling the historical script that Master Nu had recently recommended and stared up at him. The young Knight seemed to only be half-listening to what she was saying, distracted by something.

"Master Sifo-Dyas, is something wrong?"

Still leaning over, Sifo-Dyas glanced at the holo-books that lay around her at the desk.

"Ah no, nothing's wrong. Are you currently caught up in your studies?"

She didn't know why the Jedi Knight was asking, but she answered his question. "Yes, Master, I have all of my class work completed."

Sifo-Dyas smiled and stood up straight. "Good. Then I would like you to accompany me out to the Coruscant Café. Ittsi has been asking me whenever I visit if you and your two friends are ever going to come back to see her again."

His offer surprised her and she smiled. She hadn't had many chances to sneak out to the establishment since Dooku had taken Qui-Gon as his Padawan. However, she did miss Ittsi, the cheerful Rodian who owned the café.

"Yes, that would be great! I'll go put these away and be right back."

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Korrah grabbed her things quickly and ran off, excited at the change to go off the Temple grounds. And with _permission_ this time!

Sifo-Dyas watched her from where he stood. Concentrating, he searched the Force and easily found the current pulling him towards the young girl. Just as it had for the past few years.

" _This is kind of sudden,"_ Korrah thought as she put her books away. She'd spent a lot of time around the older Knight for the past few years when he wasn't away from the Temple, but this was the first time she was accompanying him anywhere. Usually, a Jedi had to get a pass from a Council member to take an Initiate out of the Temple. _"I can only assume that he already has. Maybe I'm just being needlessly suspicious. Nothing about this trip feels wrong, just kind of weird."_

A soft hum in the Force around her caught her attention. Soothing and reassuring, it flowed away in the direction of the Jedi Knight, which quickly dissolved any unease over the unexpected invitation. Placing the last book on the shelf, she headed for the exit where Sifo-Dyas was waiting. She was eager to see more of the outside world beyond the Temple again anyway.

" _Ooh, maybe I can bring back some of those cookies Qui-Gon likes with his tea."_

* * *

The two Jedi walked through the door of the establishment. It was a small, low-key place decorated with tasteful furnishings. Mirrors were placed along the top half of the walls giving the café an illusion of space and fake plants were placed in tall pots in the corners.

Behind the counter of a short bar a female Rodian waved enthusiastically at her two customers.

"Oh, welcome, welcome! Sifo-Dyas, I assume you'll have your regular order. Oh, and you brought little Korrah! It's about time you came back. I was so worried when you didn't visit after celebrating with your friends, I thought maybe you had been caught in that trouble in the lower levels on your way home."

Korrah suddenly blushed hard, catching the older Jedi's curiosity. "What is she-"

Korrah cut him off waving her arms about frantically. "Nothing! Nothing happened! It wasn't us! I mean, we, uh, brought Roloh here for his birthday and got hot chocolate and then we went back to the Temple, that's it. We were back before curfew too! No trouble what-so-ever!"

The Jedi Knight's skeptical look gave away just how unconvincing her defensive account had been. She winced and looked up at Ittsi pleadingly.

The Rodian woman didn't notice and just motioned them to sit at the corner of the bar. "Not to worry Master Jedi. Korrah and her friends came by a couple years ago for a birthday. The Iktotchi boy, right? What was his name, I can't remember, but they were no trouble at all. Although when they left the Iktotchi looked like he was on a serious sugar high. His first if I'm not mistaken."

Korrah sat on the high stool and dropped her head into her arms groaning. Now her ears had started to turn red and she was wishing she could sink into the floor and disappear.

" _Kriff it, Ittsi, could you please stop talking? No one can know what happened that night!"_

The ten year old girl could feel Sifo-Dyas' amusement radiating from his Force signature. He sat down on her left and accepted a cup of water from Ittsi.

"Just wait right here and I'll be back with your order. Oh and hot chocolate for you Korrah right?"

She breezed away into the kitchen as the door chimed and another person entered the café. They immediately called out to the Jedi Knight and strode over to sit down next to him.

"Sifo! Good to see you here, I didn't think you'd make it back to Coruscant so soon."

Korrah lifted her head and took in the newcomer's appearance. He was a male Devaronian, with bright red skin and large bull-like cranial horns that made him look like a stereotypical devil. He was dressed in worn down work clothes and the smell of oil and metal clung to him, like he spent a lot of time around machinery. There was a silver piercing through is left eyebrow and one through the middle of his lower lip.

He spied her looking at him and pointed a red finger at her.

"Who's the girl? Did you take on a student now?"

Sifo-Dyas seemed to ignore his questions with practiced grace. From outward appearances, he looked like he knew the Devaronian fairly well and gave no reaction at his casual address.

"Good to see you again too. This is Korrah Hyymn." He introduced her to his friend.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Gesturing to himself with his thumb, the Devaronian showed his pointed teeth in a wide grin. "Batt Ukkis and I'm the greatest speed-bike racer you'll ever find here on Coruscant."

Sifo-Dyas nodded dispassionately as he interrupted. "And also one of the biggest rumor-mongers in the lower levels. If he hasn't heard something, he knows someone who has."

Korrah's mind was caught on Batt's introduction. "You race on speed-bikes?" She'd once overheard someone on the holo-net talking about illegal speed-biking races that took place in the far lower levels of Coruscant. They were usually tangled with organized crime or at the very least involved individuals who were.

Batt winked. "Every night, girl. I never get to sleep without the rush. There's a going to be one on tonight just couple levels down if you're interested. I know someone who'll give you some good odds for the betting pools."

Sifo-Dyas shook his head. "Sorry, not tonight. We'll be busy."

The devilish man glowered. "Ha, and what'll that be? Carrying on with the high-level big-wigs in the Senate or something? More pity to your poor student if her heartless teacher won't let her come to see me race."

A flutter caught Sifo-Dyas' attention as it passed across the Force and Korrah suddenly spoke up.

"Turn left."

Batt leaned forward.

"What?"

The girl just shrugged.

"You'll know, just remember to…turn left."

He raised a pierced eyebrow. "You're going to say that was some kind of Force premonition thing, huh?"

Korrah shrugged helplessly. She didn't really understand what had prompted her to say what she had so she didn't offer any sort of further explanation. Batt seemed to accept her words regardless.

"Well, if you're Sifo's kid then I guess I'll keep it in mind."

Batt then turned his attention back to the Jedi Knight. "Listen, the last time I checked up with the group you mentioned before, nothing was happening, but just recently they've been moving."

"Have they stepped up production?" he asked.

Batt's eye went wide and nodded ardently. "Yep, and it's making a lot of people mad."

Korrah just sat quietly as she listened in on their conversation. She didn't know what exactly the two were talking about, but it seemed clear to her that that Sifo-Dyas' work for the Order involved him knowing about the shady underworld dealings of Coruscant. The sudden revelation shocked her, but then she realized that she didn't know what the Jedi Knight actually specialized in at all. She'd originally thought he was a diplomat. In the back of her mind, Korrah wondered why Sifo-Dyas and Batt were allowing her to sit by and hear all this.

Trusted by association, maybe?

Sifo-Dyas placed some credits on the counter. "If you hear anything more…"

Batt pocketed the credits and stood up still smiling widely. "Say no more! I know that I've haven't got much for you today, but I'll keep my ears open, you know I will." He reached into one of his pockets.

"Oh, and here. Take this, girl." He handed Korrah a thick, metal disk. "Never let it be said I don't pay my debts. I'll remember to watch for that magic 'left turn' tonight. Sifo's never led me wrong with his Jedi future knowledge, so I've got a good tell on your skills just from that."

Korrah turned the item over in her hands. "What is it?"

Batt chuckled. "It's a handy little droid I got just recently, probably a Lock-Pick or a Slicer if I had to guess. Needs a bit of fixing, but I'm sure you've got mechanics at your Temple who can do that for you."

He waved at Sifo-Dyas over his shoulder. "Our time may have been short, but it was good to touch bases with you. I'll be seeing you two around I think." And with that, Batt exited the café and walked along the streets of Coruscant.

Korrah fiddled with her new droid. It was about five inches in diameter and obviously needed a new power cell. Some of the wiring probably needed to be replaced, but overall it was in good shape. A few of the Temple mechanics who might help her repair it came to mind when Sifo-Dyas spoke up.

"You're not curious?"

She turned away from inspecting the droid. "About what?"

Ittsi returned and placed a full cup of water in front of the older Jedi and a cup of hot chocolate in from Korrah before going back into the kitchen. Sifo-Dyas continued.

"I had something I was going to tell you back at the Temple, but I figured that it could be said just as easily over food."

Korrah's curiosity was peeked. The Force was humming around them in an odd, kind of happy way. "What is it?"

Sifo-Dyas' brown eyes carried a weight to them carefully watching her. "The Council has given me permission to take you on as my Padawan and train you, should you accept."

His words stunned her. "Oh, I-" she paused.

Now the faint feelings in the Force started to make sense. Approving a potential training bond.

Sifo-Dyas wanted her as his Padawan! She was going to be a Jedi!

Korrah stared at her cup of hot chocolate as her thoughts swirled around her head. Wasn't Sifo-Dyas the one who created the Clone Army? His abilities at seeing the future through the Force were somewhat known around the Temple. He'd seen something hadn't he, and wanted to protect the Republic with an army, but then the Sith got involved. Korrah couldn't remember the exact details at the moment and vowed to look through her journal to see if she had recorded anything relevant on the subject.

She realized that the Jedi Knight was still waiting for her answer. "I…actually hadn't thought about being chosen very much to be honest. I mean, I figured that I'd get chosen by a Master someday, but then again, if I didn't I always thought I'd…go home I guess." She looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

Sifo-Dyas laughed. "You're dedicated in your studies and very gifted in the Force, Korrah. Any Jedi would be honored to have you as their Padawan."

Korrah took a deep breath feeling giddy. She got off her stool and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, I accept your generous offer…Master."

Sifo-Dyas bowed back and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The honor is mine, Padawan."

Korrah bit her lip, trying to keep a smile from breaking out across her face. "When will I get my hair braided?"

Sifo-Dyas laughed again and guided her back onto her stool. "When we get back to the Temple. You'll be helping me move into the new apartment after we eat."

Ittsi exited the kitchen flourishing their food and the new teacher and student pair dug in with smiles on their faces.

" _Wait till Qui-Gon, Roloh and Tahl hear about this!"_ Korrah thought.

* * *

Master Yoda was meditating amid the various fauna within the Room of a Thousand Fountains, peacefully thinking as he held himself open to the ebb and flow of the Force.

Amid the lights of the on the planet around him, he saw a thread of the Force weaving together between two beings, tying them closer together.

Sifo-Dyas had approached him the year before to seek his insight to the visions he'd experiencing regarding the girl. The content of the visions had clearly showed them as Master and Padawan. Still, Korrah Hyymn's immense potential in the Force had led some Council members to voice their opinions of the girl being taught by a Jedi only three years past his Knighthood.

" _Many concerns there were and still are, having a young Knight train Korrah; too young they say he is, hmph."_ He mentally snorted at the recollection of the debate that had come about over the match, though it did not show on his face.

" _An older and wiser Master needed for such potential, they say, so insist on_ _ **me**_ _they do. Long past my time for training Padawans it is; old and wise enough I am to know this. More suited to the younger Jedi of the Order this task is, I believe. Perhaps train her myself I would, if not appointed by the Force this match was."_

The little alien's ears twitched and he smiled at the impressions of happiness that colored the Force around the two Jedi. His consciousness floated away from them into the greater streams of the Force.

" _Change approaching there is. To the two of them, to the Galaxy. Perhaps even to the Order I sense."_ Yoda didn't know how he felt about that last part. The Order had stood as it had for almost a thousand years. His vision of stars played in the back of his mind.

" _Attentive of her training I will be, but run its course this must."_

* * *

 **A/N: Awesome! New chapter! And Korrah is now a Padawan. I have had some people ask me who Korrah's Master was going to be and to be honest I had originally considered Yoda, but then Sifo-Dyas came along and just stole my Muse's attention the more I tried to think. Never fear, this story still has a mapped out plot well down the line.**

 **In regards to the beginning of this chapter: Master Che is a great Jedi Healer and Master A'kam is a great Crèchemaster, but neither were Jedi philosophers, so now that Korrah's getting challenged by Master Jugon (who is one) she's losing arguments again. Hope that cleared up some concerns.**

 **Thank you Ducky9002 for editing!**

 **Please leave a review and Thank you for reading Anomaly. See you in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10: Teacher

**A/N: Welcome! There's another time skip (about two years, sorry to those that don't like them) from the last chapter, but things are developing and we're moving along. We'll be seeing some changes here and there so I hope it'll be interesting to see where characters are now.**

 **Thank you Ducky9002 for editing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I do own my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Teacher

"Ow!"

Korrah paused in her work and sucked her burned index finger, soothing it after she had accidentally brought it too close to the miniature soldering gun. In front of her, the small droid Batt had given her when they'd first met lay on the low table she was kneeling in front of partially disassembled with its covers removed to expose the working parts underneath. The disk-shaped droid whirred-clicked at her in a high-pitched binary.

"I _am_ being careful! Stop overreacting." She instructed and pushed her Padawan braid out of her face. More beeping followed. " _No_ , stay still! I'm almost finished."

Korrah was in the middle of making yet another addition to her Lock-Pick droid that Batt had given her a couple years ago. A new power cell had been just the first of many 'upgrades' that she'd ended up installing, along with an up-to-date motivator, vocoder, even an omniscience unit she'd snatched from the Temple scrap bins in a stroke of good luck. The droid's sonic imprint sensor and ROM had been slightly corroded, but still salvageable and now she was finally in the process of installing legs to the piece of machinery so that CH1-B or 'Chibi', as she had named it, could function with some independent mobility. It never hurt to be prepared in case she was too otherwise occupied to open something with it herself.

She resumed her soldering until she was satisfied with the result and set her tool off to the side, replacing the parts she had removed, finally snapping the droid's coverings on and spread her hands.

"There! Now how do you feel?"

The droid gave a few long beeps before four spindly legs came out of the disk's sides and lifted itself off the surface of the table. A robotic eye fixed at the end of a slim, flexible metal coil rose from the center of the droid and looked around itself and started crawling around testing its new appendages. Along the underside of its covering plates, Korrah could spy the small identification numbers that were stamped there. The eye swerved around to look at her as it chirped.

Korrah sighed in relief and sat back.

"Phew, good! See, Chibi, I told you I could do it. Now, are you sure you don't feel anything? Any lag, unresponsiveness, or locked-up servomotors?"

Chibi crawled figure eights over the surface of the table at alternating speeds before it whistle-clicked at her again in the negative. Then he stopped and turned back at her, two senor probes that looked like flexible wires extended from the droid like little feelers, waving around as if to express itself and it pointed its one eye in the direction of the door.

Korrah immediately sat up and scowled. "No, no, and no! I don't care _how_ well you say you can improve security, I've already _told_ you, absolutely **NO** tampering with the apartment locks! We're in the kriffin' Jedi Temple's residential section and there's nothing to steal from this room, so who's going to bother trying to break in? Master might just toss you into the garbage compactor for real this time if you make another mistake and lock him out again. You remember how long it took to reprogram _that_ little mishap don't you?"

Chibi buzzed angrily and she glared at him. "Oh, but of course. And now that you can walk on your own, if I ever find out you've done it anyway I'll throw you down the chutes myself, got it?"

The little droid emitted something close to a metallic 'growl' and she quickly grabbed him, ignoring his wildly waving legs and eye stock as he beeped at her in protest. "Well, get over it. Until then you're staying with me."

Her mechanical friend buzzed one last time in defiance before withdrawing its new legs and powering down in a manner that seemed to be the droid's equivalent to sulking.

Placing the little machine inside her tunics, Korrah heaved a breath and leaned over the table. With her morning classes canceled, she'd had little else to do beside finish Chibi's additions before she got ready for the rest in the afternoon. There was still some time before that though. She looked around the living area of the apartment and considered dusting again. Laundry was already taken care of, but it had been a few days since the last time she dusted.

The Master/Padawan apartments she shared with her Master were very spartan in their decoration. Being a Jedi, it was discouraged to value personal possessions too highly and Sifo-Dyas was a simple man anyway so there was very little beyond the necessities. He did however seem to fancy carved boxes of wroshyr wood from Kashyyyk and a certain artist from Chandrila that specialized in minimalistic paintings of nature and had several hangings around the rooms. There were small signs of her own influence including several potted plants by the windows and basically everything they used in the kitchen as the older Jedi didn't cook often at all.

Besides dismissing material possessions, Master Sifo-Dyas also seemed to forego chairs or high furniture. Even their respective beds were thick futons that lay on the ground.

Korrah laughed at her thoughts.

" _Master really is a samurai."_

Deciding against dusting, she went her room and resolved to pass the remaining time reading over the required text for class instead. She perused her bookshelf for her textbook until her eye caught on her personal journals. She now had seven full journals of visions and was half way through her eighth. Looking over the dates marked on the spines, she selected one of the earlier ones.

Korrah flipped through the pages of flimsi until she came to the page she had marked of a vision she'd had several years ago. She skimmed down to the latter half of account, towards the end.

… _world of gray again. Standing on a cliff in the fog, then the fog parted and I saw that I was at the edge of a huge canyon spanning off to both sides. Impossible to go around. I couldn't see the bottom and the mist that remained was still thick enough that I couldn't see the other side, but there was a very narrow path that led out across from the cliff. It looked incredibly treacherous, like one wrong step and I'd probably slip and fall into the gray abyss. Then a person walked past me from out of nowhere and stopped at the beginning of the path. They just stood there for a second before turning and holding out a hand to me._

 _I can't remember what they looked like or if there were even details to remember, but there was one thing that stood out. At the person's side I could see a lightsaber, simple and neat in design…almost classy, but that's really the only thing that I can remember or describe in any detail. Everything else is too murky._

 _I ended up accepting the hand and we were walking across the path. Some of it broke under my foot at one point and I slipped, but my guide pulled me back up. There were actually a few times the Jedi(?) almost fell off too, but I was able to keep him with me. The vision seemed to go on forever until we made it to the other side. Then the Jedi let go of my hand and…and there was something in my hand after they let go, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was! I just stood there and waited for them to do or say something, but nothing happened._

 _When they continued not to do anything, I bowed in thanks (it just seemed like the polite thing to do) and started walking forward again, but I found myself looking at yet_ _another_ _impassable canyon! There were dark shapes already there at the edge, but the vision ended at that moment before I could see more. And that's it._

Korrah calmly shut the journal. She'd come across this entry two weeks after she'd accepted being Master Sifo-Dyas' Padawan and started pouring over her records of her visions. At the time that she had been keeping this journal, she'd been suffering from vision-induced insomnia and had immediately forgotten about this after writing it down. Now though, she had some idea as to the proper context of the vision thanks to that one key detail she'd mentioned.

The lightsaber! The one that she'd seen in the vision was the one she now recognized as Master Sifo-Dyas'!

She replaced the journal. _"And therefore, ignoring visions is perfectly fine. Their purpose is either to prevent or prepare. So, obsessing over them does no good."_

Now if only Master would simply understand that.

She set about for her textbooks again. All this free time she had accomplished through wise time management threatened her with boredom and sometimes made her wish to be _teaching_ the classes again. Old habits certainly die hard it seemed.

However, her intended self-study was interrupted by impatient knocking on the apartment door. When she finally opened it, Qui-Gon stormed in past her, his Padawan braid whipping around wildly and his blue eyes were narrowed. Korrah raised an eyebrow at her friend's dark expression. He was fuming.

" _Oh dear…"_

Tahl walked in behind him and made eye contact with Korrah. She grimaced, which was all it took to explain the situation to her. He'd had another heated…'debate' with Master Dooku again.

Looking back over and taking in her friend's tense appearance and the aggravated line in his shoulders, she let out a low whistle. "Oookay, so, are we going to skip class and just put some tea on, because you look like you could use some right now."

The tall older boy blinked as if realizing where he was and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose. "Tea…yes. That's why I'm here. For… _tea_." He grit out.

Korrah shared another concerned look with Tahl and headed for the apartment's kitchen. "And class?" she called over her shoulder and set the kettle over the stove as she reached for the cups and tea leaves. This looked bad and was probably going to get worse before it got better. She just hoped she still had some store of her friend's favorite tea left from the _last_ time this happened.

Qui-Gon plopped himself down on the floor at the table and stretched out his long legs while Tahl joined him in a more reserved fashion.

The Noorian spoke up before their friend could. "No skipping class today. Just some tea to calm certain heads and we'll all go down together."

Qui-Gon sent her a pitiful look, but she returned it coolly and remained firm. "It'll provide a distraction Qui-Gon, and I'm not going to let you shirk your grades _or_ give you an excuse to start brooding."

"I'm not here to _brood_ , Tahl. And you didn't have to follow me."

Korrah listened in as she handled the now hot water into three cups.

"That's because you always bring in Korrah on these sorts of issues and force her to play mediator. It isn't fair to her Qui-Gon."

Tahl narrowed her tiger-striped eyes and the older boy sighed in the face of her admonishment. He rubbed at the stubble that he was trying to grow out over his chin and jaw. Another rebellious act on his part. Padawans were supposed to be clean shaved, but Korrah thought that Qui-Gon seemed to be cultivating his maverick streak against authority a bit early.

He tried appeasing his agemate. "Tahl, I don't mean to impose my problems on Korrah or any of my friends. I just need to get away from Master's obstinate… _views_ ; some space to reflect and cool down, you know that."

Korrah barked out a laugh. "Don't listen to him Tahl. He'd needs someone to argue with when he gets like this or else he's as moody as a pregnant gundark."

Tahl cracked a smile as Qui-Gon shot her an evil eye. "Kiss a sarlac, Korrah!"

She grinned triumphantly as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Well, I'd tell you to pucker up, lover boy, but I don't think Tahl would approve." She set the cups down and winked at the Noorian who rolled her eyes. At fifteen years old, the mutual crush that was growing between the two Padawans was obvious, but she refrained from commenting on it beyond friendly banter and _never_ outside the trio's privacy. The circumstances weren't exactly optimal for discussing it anyway.

Qui-Gon and Tahl accepted their cups and most of the strain seemed to melt from the young man's broad shoulders as Qui-Gon inhaled the rich aroma from the rising steam.

"How do you always have the same expensive tea that Dooku keeps in his rooms?" he asked.

The deadpan stare she sent him could have leveled a forest.

"Our Masters are friends remember? So, it stands to reason that Master would share at least some taste in the kind of teas that Master Dooku favors."

Of course, her Master could have just as easily gotten it from one of his black-market contacts, but this was a far more likely reason. She steepled her fingers and tried to smother a knowing grin.

"But you already knew that. It's why you're here isn't it? To get your kriffin' tea fix without having to go back to your own rooms and risk running into Master Dooku before you calm down enough to be rational, am I right?"

Qui-Gon crossed his arms and scowled over his seeping tea.

Korrah smirked, knowing she had him and he knew it too.

"So…what is it _this_ time?"

Tahl calmly sipped at her tea, beginning the…therapy session? Intervention? Whatever these little impromptu tea parties were meant to be.

"From what I understand, it's a disagreement over their individual values regarding the Living Force."

Korrah nodded and took a shot in the dark. "Aaaand how it leads you to rescuing every poor, pathetic creature you come across, am I right?"

Her male friend's reaction confirmed her suspicions.

"We encountered a man who was escaping prison on Devaron that had been falsely accused! You know how brutal their justice system is! He needed more than just some platitudes or being turned over to the authorities! Of course I was going to help prove his innocence. We're supposed to be servants of the Force and it must have been its will that we'd cross paths just as negotiations got put on hold."

Korrah nodded indulgently. "Yes, so I've heard. And then you somehow ended up getting locked in the cages where they keep the starving Quarra in this daring rescue, which I can only _assume_ was all part of the plan?"

He threw up his hands. "That wasn't my fault! The corrupt magistrate got the drop on us, but it did end up giving us the confession we needed." He blew on his but it was still too hot. "It all worked out and the innocent man got acquitted, but Master still just… _insists_ on lecturing me."

Tahl swallowed a mouthful of her cooled beverage. "Not everyone is as in tune with the Living Force as you are Qui-Gon and I think you aren't giving Master Dooku the credit he deserves. A Jedi Master of his caliber couldn't be that ignorant of the Living Force, at least not as much as you seem to think."

"He's _completely_ dismissive of it!"

Korrah watched them as she sipped her own tea.

" _Well at least they've moved past their differing views on swordsmanship. This stubborn shaak really wouldn't take up anything other than Ataru unless his life literally depended on it."_

Still, with that thought in mind, Korrah felt some reassurance in knowing that he _had_ eventually acquiesced to learning _some_ defensive Makashi katas his Master had been trying to drill into him. She'd suggested it over a year ago when these kinds of arguments had started becoming more and more frequent between Qui-Gon and his Master, though he'd only done so after she'd subtly dropped enough hints to get him to believe that her insistence stemmed from a vision she'd had of his death. Or something equally as horrible.

It wasn't much, but even a one-degree deviation could prove fortuitous in the future.

Still, Korrah worried over the rift that seemed to be forming between the two. She respected Dooku as a Jedi Master and experienced diplomat (Master Sifo-Dyas had unintentionally dropped hints that he might have been a Jedi Shadow in the past as well), but she did understand Qui-Gon's frustration over how hard it could be to see past his aristocratic mask. Sadly, that was just how he was. Master Dooku was a naturally guarded man and it wasn't in his nature to show his inner thoughts or feelings no matter how deep they ran.

As for her best friend, he…well, it seemed as if Qui-Gon's infamous 'live in the moment' philosophy actually stemmed from the young man's bad habit of tunnel vision that would grip him whenever he got too emotional over something or convinced he was in the right. It seemed like an unavoidable pitfall as he was just too stubborn in his nature and headstrong while Dooku was too old and set in his ways.

And somehow, she didn't know how, but she had ended up as the 'safe' middle ground for the two of them. Korrah still wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

Tahl reached over and held her friend's hand. "How are things, Qui-Gon? Really?"

"We're fine."

Tahl remained unconvinced. "Qui-Gon."

He lasted five more seconds – an impressive new record – before he relented and sighed.

"I haven't spoken to him since we returned from Devaron over a week ago." He said, somewhat contrite.

Korrah gave an unladylike snort. "Color me shocked."

Her words didn't amuse the teenage boy in the slightest. "Some friend you are." He muttered and took a sip of tea, but coughed when he swallowed it wrong.

"You know you love me."

Qui-Gon continued to frown, but he was thankfully no longer as tense as when he first entered. His eyes fell on the piece of equipment on the table.

"What's the soldering gun for?"

Recognizing the redirection in the conversation, Korrah pulled out Chibi. "Well, with morning classes cancelled, I decided to finally put some more touches to this little guy. He can walk now, look." She presented him with a flourish and tapped the little guy to wake him up.

"You've been working on that thing for years. When are you ever not tinkering with it?" Qui-Gon asked as Chibi's one eye lit up and he quickly registered the presence of the other two organics.

Tahl smiled as she observed the little droid as it extended its new legs and crawled around excitedly. "Very nice work, Korrah. Though, I hope you're not going to let it loose in the apartment. If it escapes and gets loose in the Temple at large it might do more damage than just break the lock on _one_ door."

She shook her head and fixed the Lock-Pick droid with a flat stare. "No. Master and I already talked about that. And Chibi knows better than to go behind my back anyway. Don't you?"

The little droid in question 'nodded' its eye stock and warbled affirmatively, spending the next few minutes entertaining them with his new features before Tahl checked the chrono on the wall and swallowed the last of her tea. "Time for afternoon class, you two."

Qui-Gon halfheartedly heaved his great frame up from the floor as Korrah retrieved Chibi, quickly washed their cups and stored them away – as well as the soldering gun – before grabbing her books and following them out.

Astronavigation was an endlessly fascinating subject, but Korrah was continuously distracted by Qui-Gon sitting next to her. He only seemed to be paying half his attention to the material.

She whispered to him as the instructor covered the various hyperspace lanes that connected the Inner and Mid Rim.

"You know you have to do something about it."

He frowned and didn't answer.

When the lecture had ended, Tahl had a separate class afterwards so the two humans walked along at a sedate pace. Korrah directed them around a lesser used route to avoid having people overhear them as Qui-Gon ranted quietly. She figured they had enough time for that.

* * *

Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was in the lesser perused section of the Archives where the records of past council meeting were kept. There was some questionability over whether he had the clearance to see some of these records, but there were ways around that.

He'd spent the last few hours reviewing the individual Councilor's notes of the disturbance that had shaken the Force, Light and Dark alike, approximately twelve years ago. A certain quote from Jedi Master Thame stood out to him just as it had when he'd first come across it.

… _disturbance in the Force…an anomaly…end to these times of peace…the Chosen One…_

Sifo-Dyas pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began to build inside his head.

Chosen One.

For some inconceivable reason, he was tasked by the Force to train the…the youngling that all the signs pointed towards being the Chosen One.

And then there was the Jedi High Council. He'd been called in by the Council for enough meetings over his student's development to know their minds on the subject. And if he was being honest with himself, their continued interest in monitoring his methods of instruction was growing more and more…undesirable. Far be it from him to doubt the wisdom of the Council, but after the first year of scrutiny he'd received, Sifo-Dyas had reevaluated his initial misgivings of their roles regarding apprenticeships.

He thought back to the past medical reports regarding the girl's mother which had been what convinced most of them of the truth about Korrah. The youngling's biological mother, Savah Hyymn, was physically incapable of successfully carrying a pregnancy past second trimester and after her previous stillborn, shouldn't have conceived again. Not without the interference of the Force as the evidence stated. Korrah's midiclorian count itself seemed an echoing testament to the Force's undeniable involvement in her birth. Over _twenty-thousand pc!_ Over double the average count for a Jedi Knight!

" _And a_ _pproximately four-thousand more than even Master Yoda's count…"_ he thought and Master Thame's recorded words haunted his mind again.

He released his fear into the Force with practiced ease. The past two years had been… _thankfully_ easy. The biggest change that he'd experienced was that he hadn't left Coruscant for any great length of time since taking on a student.

The Council had assigned them on several missions as a Master/Padawan pair during these two years, but none of them had really amounted to anything too dire or dangerous. Not like his _usual_ assignments. They were the kind of missions that the Council would assign to aid in deepening the bond between Master and Padawan and giving each side the opportunity to learn more and understand the other while out in the field, short-term disaster relief, low-risk escort missions, even supervising a group of younglings during their Gathering and other such things.

Through each mission Korrah had acted according to his instructions, hadn't been afraid of voicing questions and alternate solutions to a problem, but had always differed to his greater experience with maturity rarely seen in a recently chosen Padawan.

A fact that he thanked the Force every day for.

Sifo-Dyas was not a person who was great at handling children, so the less time he had to spend trying to corral a child into doing what had to be done, the more time he had to ensure that the mission could be dealt with properly and cleanly.

And making sure that they both got out of the mission alive and intact when they _finally_ started dealing with the type of missions where such leeway couldn't be afforded. He had been itching to get back into his field of expertise for the past six months now, but he had to admit his growing fondness for his young Padawan had made him pause.

His line of work in dealing with the criminal underworld of the Galaxy wasn't one to be taken lightly or treated as some kind of game.

In other words, it was no place for children.

And if he was being honest with himself, if his Padawan hadn't shown herself to possess as much maturity as she constantly did (the only exceptions seemed to be when she was in the company of her friends), he most likely would have insisted on leaving her behind at the Temple every time he was called in by the Council.

Then again, if she had been any other youngling and the Force hadn't sent him those visions of their eventual apprenticeship, he probably would've never taken her as a student in the first place.

There was one thing about Korrah that confused the Jedi. The twelve-year-old girl had visions nearly every night and as someone who was also gifted in foresight he had originally thought this would be the easiest hurdle that he'd have to guide her through, but that was not the case. Sifo-Dyas didn't understand why she was always so determined to ignore her visions. The most thought that he witnessed Korrah delegate towards them was to record them in a coded journal and then shelve it as if that was the end of it.

He'd tried to talk with her about it. That the Force gave visions for a reason and he often had her make time to meditate on her visions. She did the meditation, but he could tell she would slip back into ignoring them immediately afterwards again.

It worried him. He still didn't know how to properly broach the topic. Maybe he'd talk with Master Yoda or ask Master Che more questions over what she knew that could possibly shed some insight on her steadfast avoidance.

He continued scanning the rest of the entry when Dooku walked up and greeted him. "Sifo-Dyas. A pleasure to find you here."

He smiled and returned the nod. "Good afternoon Dooku. How are you and Qui-Gon?"

It had become customary for him to ask about the Jedi Master and his student over the past few years. He was the one whom he sought the most advice from besides Master Yoda about his own apprenticeship. However, years of friendship allowed Sifo-Dyas to recognize the older man's carefully concealed tells and he noticed that there was an ever so slight downturn to his mouth as he casually reached for a book. Concern settled lightly in the back of his mind and he hoped that the two weren't experiencing…tensions between themselves again.

"The boy still has a penchant for attachment that is driven by his unhindered compassion for all things in the Galaxy. It would serve him better as a Jedi Knight once he learns how to temper it properly with discipline and a better sense of discernment, but that is still beyond his capacity at the moment with his hard-headed nature. He still has much to learn." Dooku related. "I admit I often find myself envious of the smoothness you seem to enjoy within your own apprenticeship my friend."

Sifo-Dyas sighed as the conversation turned to him and replaced the holobook. "Dooku, you know me. I am not as naturally inclined to teaching as you are. Taking on a student was never something that I considered in my future. It was the shock of my life when I started to receive visions from the Force directing my path elsewhere."

Dooku smiled. "I believe it has as much to do with the student as well as the will of the Force Sifo-Dyas. I have yet to hear any complaint of the child from you."

Sifo-Dyas could tell that this was his friend's way of deflecting the conversation away from himself, but the topic he brought up was one he had meant to discuss with him. A masterful Makashi move, even in his manner of speech; as to be expected from his friend. He breathed deeply in a manner that was either resigned or troubled by something he couldn't yet put into words. "Korrah is…well, she is not a child." He said slowly and rubbed his forehead. "At least, she doesn't act like one would expect of a human girl her age. The only exception seems to be when she's around your Padawan and her other friends, of course." He commented and they strolled out from among the shelves. "She's organized, studious, and obedient and…and mature. Surprisingly so. Honestly…I don't think I'd be as self-assured at teaching her if that hadn't been the case."

Dooku's thoughts seemed to elsewhere as he replied. "Yes. It is indeed a blessing when a young mind understands the value of _maturity_." He selected another holobook with just a mite too fast – too much snap in the wrist – to be counted as casual.

Sifo-Dyas tried to discern the cause of his friend's irritation, but Dooku cut off his attempt and issued an invitation for tea in his rooms. Sifo-Dyas accepted his friend's offer and they exited the Archives, walking down the halls. They were largely empty and afforded the two a rare instance of quiet at that certain time of day.

"How does your Padawan progress in her saber play Sifo-Dyas? Is Korrah still attempting your chosen style of Form V in the salles?"

He gave a rueful expression. "She continues to improve her technique as the months pass by, but despite expressing some interest in Djem So earlier this year, she just doesn't possess the physical strength needed for it to be effective. She does well enough with the Shien aspect of the Form, but I've encouraged her to retain her focus on her combination of Soresu and Makashi. It suits her much better than mine."

Dooku nodded. "I've heard it from my own Padawan that she has already surpassed the majority of her peers. He still spars against her frequently and has reported defeats at her hand as an increasing occurrence. As the one who instructs him in the art of swordsmanship I know that is no easy feat."

Sifo-Dyas couldn't help but feel a rush of pride flow through him at Dooku's words, recognizing the underlying complement for what it was. He tried to belay the praise. "She is talented and receives instruction well. I can't put forth a claim to what comes naturally."

Dooku gave what counted as an elegant scoff. "You continue to underestimate yourself my friend, but I will not press you over your insistent humility. Even obstacles such as that are overcome in their own time."

Sifo-Dyas smiled. "It's certainly been a surprisingly fruitful experience so far."

One that he had never considered for himself, but couldn't bring himself to regret now.

If only he could get over the weight and responsibilities the Council believed her future held as well as her importance to the Force and the Order as a whole.

Dooku and Sifo-Dyas suddenly stopped walking as they heard conversing voices approaching and recognized them as none other than their respective students. The two young ones didn't notice their presence in the hallway adjoining the one they were traversing through, too caught up in their own conversation.

"…well, you _are_ a fifteen-year-old human male. I'd honestly be more surprised if you weren't having some kind of rebellious faze."

"It's not a _faze_ , Korrah. I'm serious."

Korrah rolled her eyes.

"I'll alert the media. You did have a point in all this grumbling didn't you?"

Qui-Gon made a pained face. "When he took me as his apprentice, I thought it was everything I ever wanted, but now I wonder…what if it turns out he's not the kind of Master I needed."

Sifo-Dyas mentally winced and refrained from reacting to the boy's words. The context of the Padawan's conversation was now clearly apparent and without a doubt not something he should be overhearing. He didn't look over at his friend's face at that moment, afraid of what kind of expression would be set there, but from his peripheral view, Dooku had gone completely still next to him.

"Hmm, maybe so," Korrah allowed. " **But** have you ever considered _you_ might be exactly the kind of Padawan _he_ needs?"

Both Masters paused in their thoughts when they heard that and even Qui-Gon stopped walking, looking bewildered. Korrah continued.

"This apprenticeship is a two-way street, Qui-Gon. Hate to be the first one to tell you this, but _it's not all about you_." She finished her sentence in a dramatic whisper and dodged a retaliatory swipe at her head. "But seriously, what if all this 'woe is me' chssk you keep brooding over is just keeping you from realizing what _he's_ having to deal with, work through and learn from?"

"You're taking his side?"

"Ugh, I'm trying to open you up to the possibilities." She countered. "I mean, having someone as stubborn as you for a friend isn't exactly the easiest job in the Galaxy." Her hazel eyes twinkled as she grinned back at him. "I can't even imagine the kind of agony it must be to suffer having you as a Padawan."

Qui-Gon peered down at her, annoyed. "It's not exactly delightful having to deal with your irksome company and know-it-all remarks either, you know."

Korrah shrugged unrepentantly. "Hey, if you want someone with a sympathetic shoulder to cry on who will commiserate with you, go talk to Tahl. If you want _answers_ with a healthy dose of the inconvenient truth, you talk to me. My point is: whatever your differences, Master Dooku cares about you. Whatever his views are, they're important to him just as are you and he wouldn't be trying so hard to get his points across to you if that wasn't true."

She pointed a finger straight in the taller Padawan's face. "And _you_. _Know. This_. So man up and get over it! Apologize if you have to. You don't even have to use words if that's too hard! The two of you are different, but that's not _his_ fault."

Qui-Gon was silent for several seconds. Then he sighed heavily and shook his head, but his lips pulled back slightly into a resigned expression.

"Alright, I get it, I get it. So, how would you suggest I face him the next time I see him?"

Korrah snorted and walked ahead. "Nuh-uh, no, that's on you! If you're just too lazy to put forth the effort-"

The two Jedi Masters stood in the hallway for several long moments as their students passed out of their hearing range. The content of what they had just overheard slowly digesting within their own minds. Dooku stroked his beard thoughtfully and slid his gaze over to Sifo-Dyas.

"Quite the insightful Padawan, my friend."

His worry was back, but Sifo-Dyas nodded in response.

* * *

 _As Korrah fell into her dreams that night and was immediately assaulted by an unpleasant stench of rotting vegetation. The air was awfully humid around her and the ground was swampy. She looked down and realized that she had sunk into the mud until it almost spilled over the tops of her boots._

 _Korrah hurriedly pulled them out with a thick squelch and awkwardly high-stepped her way towards the tall trees as fast as she could in search of more solid ground. She made it to the base of the nearest tree and almost slipped again on the thick but slimy roots back into the mud. Her footware was well and truly ruined when she finally managed to free herself from the stuff._

 _Looking around at the swampy forest she had found herself in, she couldn't push back the feeling that this whole place seemed terribly too familiar to her. The trees were tall and winding, dark with moss and algae twisting upwards as tangled vines climbed all over and around them blocking out what sunlight there might have been. A light mist softly carpeted the surface of the ground and pools of deeper water. Korrah thought she saw something move in the dirty, stagnant water off to the side and pulled a face as she drew back from the water's edge, careful where she stepped._

 _This whole place tickled the back of her memory something fierce. Why couldn't she just remember where it was?_

 _Raucous bird-like noises drew her attention upwards and although she couldn't make them out, she could hear that there were animals flying around in the tops of the trees overhead._

 _And_ _ **bugs.**_ _So many insufferable_ _ **bugs!**_

 _Korrah almost lost her balance and toppled back into the foul-smelling mud as she swung her arms around trying to disperse a swarm of the abominable things when they attacked her, but then a cloud of twinkling lights fluttered into view and the swarm passed way. She focused on the lights curiously._

 _Fireflies! At least those were a less nefarious type of insects than the pestilence that inhabited this place. What was it called again? It was right there at the forefront of her mind; so familiar to her, how could she possibly forget it?_

 _The fireflies flew around her in a dazzling display like tiny stars before spiraling away in another direction. Following her instinct, Korrah took off after them._

 _She climbed over roots, rocks and swinging on vines, now ruining her tunics as she crossed more of the swamp towards their destination, following the fireflies until she saw the entrance to a cave in front of her. It was covered in huge tree roots and thick vegetation. The interior was dark and ominous._

 _The little fireflies stopped in front of it, but she continued without breaking her stride, pulled forward by some unseen power._

 _There was something in there, just out of sight calling her inside. It was-_

" _ **You must come."**_

Korrah's eyes snapped open and sat up straight. She looked wildly around her room, almost expecting to see someone there. The voice she'd just heard…it wasn't one she knew, but it had sounded like it had been spoken right next to her.

Just as her heart started slowing down, Korrah was surprised when in the following second, her Jedi Master enter her room. He was still in his sleeping ware and his hair was down and loose.

"Korrah, are you alright?"

She couldn't decipher the look on his face. Maybe it was the dim lighting. He seemed concerned. What was he doing awake at…fourth morning hour?

"Just another vision, Master." She said calmly. She wanted to go back to sleep.

However, Sifo-Dyas came over and knelt down beside her bedding.

"What did you see?"

She paused, wondering if he'd insist she should meditate on her vision, but obeyed anyway. Her reply was only one word.

"Dagobah."

* * *

 **A/N: So the Jedi Council and Sifo-Dyas are having a bit of 'dim bulb' moment in assuming Korrah is the Chosen One, but I have a reason for that. This is an AU after all.**

 **Also, since I can't seem to find the actual 'Lucas-approved' prophesy I thankfully have some leeway with this plot point and I'll definitely go into more detail on it as some point in this story. Hope you all are wondering where I'm going with this because what I have planned gets really interesting.**

 **It's a pity I wasn't able to add any scenes of Roloh in this chapter, but we'll probably see him in the next one. I'm glad I've got Chibi established as he's going to be Korrah's 'R2'/swiss army knife.**

 **See you all in the next chapter everyone! Please leave a review and tell me what you think. What was your favorite part? And as always, I hope you enjoyed this!**

 **-ObsidianShadow1994**


	12. Chapter 11: Dagobah

**A/N:** **Surprise!** **Early update! This won't happen too often I'm afraid, but when the Muse grants the Flowing Waters of Inspiration, I write while I can. Character development in this chapter and hints towards the future, how exciting!**

 **Thank you to Ducky9002 for editing!**

 **Another big thank you goes to reviewers OldWorldVulture, TheFirstStranger7, Cmedina1, xenocanaan, skidney, Racheeele (so many 'e's), ThelonewolfNT, mk0008 and Guest reviewer 'Michael' for all your wonderful comments and reviews! Thank you so much!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Dagobah

" _Quite…interesting I find this."_

"Yes, Master Yoda." Sifo-Dyas replied into his comlink. "Though, I'm at a loss over what it means at the moment."

The little alien huffed across the audio transmission. _"Hmph! Loss you say! Only loss you have is of sleep, Sifo-Dyas and seen fit to alert me! Now at a loss_ _ **I**_ _am, am I not?"_

Sifo-Dyas gave a painful wince at Yoda's clipped tone. He felt like a thoughtless youngling in the face of the Grandmaster's cutting reprimand. It _was_ , after all, only half passed Coruscant's fourth morning hour and he was without a doubt disturbing Master Yoda's own sleep by calling him like this. But there was something teasing against his senses right now, insisting that this vision was important and he couldn't dismiss it from his mind. Nevertheless, he opened his mouth to apologize for his lack of decorum, but Yoda interrupted him.

" _Speak with you at a later hour on this, I will, after risen the sun has and breakfast I have enjoyed. Rest_ _ **you**_ _will as well Sifo-Dyas. Calm and strengthen your mind, clear your thoughts it will. Diminish what you have_ _ **lost**_ _I think, yes."_

He ended the transmission and shut off his comlink with a sigh. That…hadn't gone very well. Not exactly bad, but…

Looking back at his Padawan's room, he could feel the girl's calm signature through the Force and knew she was already fast asleep again.

Tonight – or this morning depending on how one decided to look at it – was certainly shaping up to be quite abstruse. He really should take Master Yoda's advice and go back to sleep, but his mind was too distracted. Instead of laying back on his bed, he knelt on a thick mat in his room and meditated.

" _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."_

Reciting the Jedi Code calmed the Jedi Knight and centered his mind. His breath deepened and evened out as the distractions fell away and Sifo-Dyas began to think more clearly over the recent events of that night.

No sooner had he awoke from a vison of chasing after the elusive figure of his Padawan through a swamp-like environment, he had sensed her come awake as well through their training bond as well. Sifo-Dyas had been worried that his vision had bled across their bond in the Force and disturbed her sleep – it was not an uncommon occurrence between Master and Padawan when one, or both, was prone to visions in their dreams.

What disconcerted Sifo-Dyas was not the possibility of exposing his Padawan to his own visions, but the strong emotions that he'd felt within his vision, which were troubling him to say the least. Great and terrible fear, anxiety, and desperation driving him after Korrah's specter. The pressing _need_ to stop her from continuing on her path.

He hadn't expected her to know, much less blurt out the name of the place he'd seen. When he questioned her further he realized that his vision hadn't been what woke her up at all – it was good to know his mental shields were still sturdy and functioning properly – but Korrah had had her own vision of the exact same place.

He shook his head. Why was he so surprised? He'd known just half a year into the apprenticeship that Korrah's precognition abilities far outstripped his own.

Maybe it was that ease she held in deciphering her visions that made her so flippant in her regard towards them.

He finally settled his thoughts enough that he resurfaced from his meditative trance went back to bed. He dozed half-in and half-out of sleep until his internal clock alerted him to his usual time he'd rise.

Sifo-Dyas made himself some tea and a simple breakfast while he waited alone in his rooms as the hours slowly passed. Korrah had classes within the Temple to attend and it was late in the morning by the time he received a call from Yoda to meet him in his quarters. They sat down in the older Jedi's bare rooms and Yoda addressed him.

"Regained what you have lost have you?"

Sifo-Dyas cracked a small smile. "Yes, Master Yoda." He was calm now. He drew upon the Force and felt its soothing coolness diffuse his embarrassment over his actions that morning.

"Good. It is well that you do. Now, recount these visions you and your Padawan have had."

Sifo-Dyas took a deep breath and launched into a detailed description of both what he had seen followed by what Korrah had told him of her own perspective. The Jedi Knight didn't like the sinister way in how she had described the cave or the compulsion she'd felt to enter it. Despite his regained composure, he found himself unable to disguise his trepidation as he finished his student's account which ended with her approaching the cave.

As he fell silent, Yoda stroked his chin and nodded slowly.

"Clear I would say this vision shared by you and your Padawan is. An instruction from the Force to the two of you. To the planet of Dagobah you must go, I believe."

"You believe so?"

Yoda nodded. "It was not you that woke me this morning. Roused from my sleep I was by a feeling sent to me by the Force alerting me that my attention was needed for something of importance. These visions are that which I was bade to guide you through, I think. Much more irritable I would have been with you, had this not been so."

The Jedi Grandmaster smiled at the Jedi Knight, his forgiveness over the young man's earlier actions flowed across the Force to Sifo-Dyas and he bowed his head. The two of them then stood up.

"Certain your path is Sifo-Dyas. To the planet of Dagobah you and Padawan Korrah will go, but let go of insecurity and that which has unsettled your mind I advise. What is it you fear you will find, hm?"

The younger Jedi smoothed his tunics. "I don't know what we will find, Master, but I'm certain that something in the Force is calling my Padawan to the planet. There's something there that might…threaten her, I think. I don't know if she's ready for it."

It was an aggravating and unfamiliar feeling for Sifo-Dyas. He'd never felt this protective towards someone before and worse, he didn't know how he was going to properly deal with it.

"Then prepare for the journey we must."

Sifo-Dyas' brow furrowed in confusion. "Master?"

Yoda placed both of his clawed hands on the top of his cane and stared up at the Jedi Knight.

"Traveling with you to Dagobah I will be."

* * *

"…Sooo, watering the plants while you're gone I can understand, but why are you asking _me specifically_ to take care of your droid like it's some kind of pet?"

Korrah was currently holding a struggling droid as it poked and chirped angrily in her hands.

"Well, I can't leave him with Qui-Gon because he doesn't care about droids in the slightest and will most likely lose him if, by some miracle, he and Master Dooku don't end up smashing him to shrapnel on the first day. Roloh still lives in the Initiate dorms which are too open. He'll escape for sure and cause havoc, so that leaves you as the only other sensible, reliable friend that I have. It'll just be for a little while…or at least I hope it will be- _ooow!"_

Chibi's sensor probes sparked again, jabbing at her fingers, but Korrah avoided them by instead levitating the flailing thing with the Force so that she held it suspended, floating helplessly above her hands.

Tahl raised a dark eyebrow. "Why is your droid acting like you're about to toss him down the garbage chutes?"

Korrah huffed. "Because he wants to come with me and he _can't_ , so I've been trying to keep him from sneaking into my pack _all_ _morning_ , but he's pretty determined to come along and insists he won't allow himself to be left behind."

Tahl looked confused. "I would have thought you'd be fine with taking Chibi along with you."

"Well, that's because – like Chibi – you don't understand that Master and I are going to be staying on a swamp planet for an extended length of time, lightyears away from any level of civilization and anyone with the tools and ability to keep him free of mud, slime and whatever else can be found and subsequently stuck in his gears."

The two of them watched amused as the little droid stopped struggling for a second. Chibi's eye swerved upwards and he beeped at Korrah. Her eyebrow arched condemningly.

"You didn't ask."

It tittered, grumpy, but finally withdrew its legs and eye stock back into itself and resumed its disk-shaped hibernation mode. Korrah stopped levitating it and pushed it into Tahl's hand.

"Please Tahl?"

Her friend smiled at her. "You're not going to insist that I feed him and take him on walks too are you?"

She groaned and pressed her hands together in front of her face. "Oh, come on! Help me out Tahl! You're my only hope!"

Ignorant of her friend's underlying joshing, the Noorian girl laughed and patted her arm. "Alright, I'll take care of it."

"Thanks. If he causes you trouble just take off his legs. I can always reattach them when I get back. Or, if he behaves, find something better."

Tahl posed a question to Korrah as they parted ways.

"Have you seen Roloh today yet?"

She shook her head. "No. I was going to drop by after foisting this little bug of mine off on you. Why?"

Tahl smiled secretively and her stripped eyes bespoke of some mischief. "Oh nothing. Just be sure to see him before you go. He'll be very sad if he can't tell you himself."

Korrah frowned thoughtfully as Tahl walked off.

" _Tell me what?"_

* * *

The Jedi Padawan then walked through the Temple to the Initiate dorms, but upon arriving was told that her friend was no longer a resident there. Panic suddenly gripped Korrah and she remembered, with a growing sense of guilt that the Iktotchi boy's thirteenth birthday was only in a few months. What if he'd been transferred to Service Corp. already?!

As it would happen, while she was questioning the hapless Initiate where her friend was, Roloh walked around the corner and spotted her before she did. He caught her completely off guard as he came barreling down the hallway and all but tackled her from the side. She avoided sprawling across the floor only due to her friend wrapped her up in his arms and spinning her around, crushing her in a tight hug.

"Korrah! I've been looking everywhere for you! It finally happened! Korrah, look!"

She stumbled, a bit dizzy from the sudden jubilant assault as Roloh set her back on her feet and dipped his head. There, Korrah saw a polished circlet proudly displayed on his right cranial horn.

"I was chosen!"

Korrah's eyes went wide with surprise and her face lit up with joy.

"You were! Really?!"

She grabbed his head and examined the plain circlet closely. The Iktotchi species didn't have any fur or hair so when Initiates of Roloh's race were chosen as Padawans, they displayed their status with these kind of metal circlets. The light glinted off it dully.

"Oh, Roloh it's beautiful! A Padawan at last, I always knew you would!"

Her friend smiled and rubbed his hands together. It was a nervous habit of his.

"I know. I was starting to get worried, but then I was helping out Padawan Gea Anm in the Halls of Healing this morning when Master Che pulled me aside and started asking me some questions and, honestly, I thought I was in trouble at first, but then she asked me if I enjoyed healing because I spent so much time helping there and I told her about how I can feel other people's pain and emotions which helps me know what's wrong and how to help them feel better, because no one _really_ likes staying in the Halls for too long, you know…?"

Korrah nodded along as he rambled until something in what he said snagged her brain like a thistle. "Wait, who is your Master?"

"It's Master Vokara Che."

Korrah's brain stalled.

"…Eh?"

He didn't seem to notice her inattention. "She's one of the head Healers in the Temple. Don't you remember? I think you used to have Mind Healing sessions all the time when we were younglings."

Yes. Yes, she did remember her, but all her memories of the Twi'lek Jedi Healer were…admittedly kind of biased by all the grueling therapy sessions she'd had to go through with her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well…better you than me my friend."

He didn't seem to understand her sudden lapse in mirth. "Is everything okay? You feel kind of funny right now."

Korrah shrugged. "I'm just surprised is all. I didn't expect Master Che to be the one to choose you, but…now that I think about it I can totally see it." She smiled brightly at the Iktotchi. "You've always been the most compassionate of our group and first to help when you feel someone's in pain." She threw her arm around his shoulders, stamping down any irritation she felt at the realization that he was slowly gaining height on her as well. "You'll be one of the greatest Jedi Healers in the Order Roloh!"

The joyful mood infected them both and they decided to head in the direction of the cafeteria together.

"I know you hadn't heard that I got chosen, but was there something else you wanted to do?"

"Well, I'm leaving with Master tomorrow so I wanted to see you before I did."

"…Oh."

She hugged Roloh at the crestfallen expression on his face one more time and drew him back into lighter conversation. Soon the two friends were chattering excitedly as they lunched together. Since Qui-Gon was unlikely to be back from a mission until the day after her departure, Korrah promised that they'd celebrate his apprenticeship properly with him and Tahl once she got back from her trip.

She left him in front of Master Che's apartment, located near the Halls of Healing, and knew her dear friend would be fine. After all, who better to teach him how to control his empathy than a Jedi shrink?

* * *

Korrah was walking behind her Master and Yoda through the clamor and oily smells of the Temple docking bay to their ship when she heard someone call her name. She turned and smiled at Qui-Gon's huge figure running in her direction. He gasped after his mad sprint.

"I'm so glad I caught you before you left. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. If it's important it could be a while."

Honestly, Korrah wasn't sure what she was going to find on Dagobah or why she and Master were being called there. Her vision had specifically depicted the Cave of Evil that she knew was located there, but thinking of the pull she'd felt towards it made her…uneasy. Seeing Luke confront his inner darkness inside the cave had been entertaining in a thematic way, but she found herself not wanting to know what she'd have to confront if she entered the cave. Potentially seeing a physical manifestation of whatever darkness she carried in herself was not something she was eager to know and what's worse, how would it manifest if she _did_ go in?

"You alright?"

Korrah blinked, coming out of her stupor. "Yeah, just thinking. But don't worry, I'll be back before you know it, so don't get into _too_ many fights with Master Dooku while I'm gone. Or give Tahl any trouble! She puts up with far too much from you as it is, you know! And I'm going to be asking her all about everything you've gotten into when I get back and Master Dooku likes me, so don't think I won't hear about it even if she doesn't say anything!"

The older boy rolled his eyes and mussed up her hair. He _knew_ she hated it when he did that! "Oh, kriffin' hels, it's nice to know that you have such strong faith in me Korrah! And here I was, going to wish you a safe trip, but now I think I'm going to savor this break from your overbearing mother-hen tendencies for every second you're gone."

The girl glared up at her smirking friend. "See if I bring you back a souvenir then."

"Yeah, some swamp mud or a tree leech would make a lovely keep-sake, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, is that a request?"

He stuck his tongue out at her, making her laugh and they shared one last half hug before Korrah turned back. "Oh, one last thing, would you watch out for Roloh while I'm gone? He's Master Che's Padawan now so if you could, you know, check and see if he's doing alright…?" she called over her shoulder.

Qui-Gon waved. "Oh, I'll probably be seeing him sooner than I'd like given how my missions tend to go. Don't worry, I'll drop by the Halls so often he'll be sick of me."

Korrah shook her head, muttering 'incorrigible' under her breath and made her way around a passing mechanic to the ramp of the ship where her Master and Yoda were waiting for her.

The Padawan immediately asked to retire to the room she shared with her Master as the three's ship departed from Coruscant where she took her space sickness medicine and sank into an uneasy meditation as they entered hyperspace. She spent the next few hours struggling to maintain her grasp on the Force – and her stomach – and only rejoined them in the cockpit once the worst of the queasiness had dissipated. By then, they were approaching the coordinates of their destination and dropped out of lightspeed.

Her Master was the one piloting the ship. "There it is. Dagobah."

Now that she was no longer in hyperspace Korrah could better appreciate the experience of being in space. Stars twinkled around them and the planet they were approaching was murky, covered in wispy clouds with shades of dirty green and brown coloring the planet. Dagobah lacked any lights denoting civilization making it seem barren, but at the same time it was somehow majestic.

"Strap yourself in Korrah. We'll be entering the atmosphere in a few minutes." Sifo-Dyas instructed as he entered in several commands to the ship's commuter.

She buckled herself into her seat as they entered the planet's atmosphere, a smart move as minutes later, once they entered the thick clouds and there was a sudden _lurch_ and all occupants gripped their seats when their ship was assaulted by unexpected turbulence. Korrah's stomach heaved and she fought to keep down her breakfast as Sifo-Dyas fought the controls to regain stability. No one could see anything.

" _Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke, don't puke...!"_ the mantra echoed through her head as the turbulence increased and alarms started buzzing around the cockpit.

"Hold on! This landing's going to be rough!" Korrah could hear her Master gritting his teeth as he pulled at the steering handles. Looking over at Yoda she was shocked to see that he had his eyes closed and he almost seemed to be meditating. She felt a stab of envy towards the little troll. At a time like this! Suddenly, foliage started beating against the viewing panels and the mist broke, revealing the ground surging forth to meet the head on.

Only the lump of half-regurgitated vomit in Korrah's throat prevented her from letting out a girly scream as Sifo-Dyas gunned the engines and forced the nose of their ship upwards again, skimming the underbelly one the soft ground, but thankfully avoiding a complete nose-dive into the bog. They continued over the surface until they finally, _finally,_ came to a stop on a stretch of elevated and drier land.

Korrah swallowed and let out a shaky laugh. "Awesome…we didn't crash."

" _And I didn't throw up! That's Korrah – 3, space travel – 2."_

Sifo-Dyas shot her a dry side-ways glance. "Why thank you, Padawan."

The ship's ramp lowered and the three Jedi walked out onto the planet's surface. The first thing Korrah noticed was the smell. It wasn't…bad, but it was really dank and humid. Everything about her surroundings seemed to express great age. There was also a low hum across her senses emanating from the very ground and resonated through everything, the trees, the air, even Korrah's own body.

Yoda closed his eyes and nodded appreciatively. "Hmm…strong in the Force this place is. A good location for training I believe, yes."

Korrah looked over at the Jedi Master. "But Master Yoda, I thought we were following the visions. Now that we're here, shouldn't we be looking for the cave I saw? I mean, why would we be staying here to train when we could be out searching?"

Sifo-Dyas placed a hand on her shoulder. "The answers to the visions will come in time and the Force, Padawan. Meanwhile, Master Yoda has accompanied us to give council in understanding the Force's will behind our presence here and had offered instruction for us both. Remember to have patience and to follow his directions Korrah."

Korrah took a deep breath, a bit disappointed they wouldn't be seeking out the cave immediately. "Yes, Master."

Yoda brought his cane up and tapped the girl's chest. "A valuable opportunity to reconnect with nature this is. A chance not often do I get to enjoy a planet so pure in the Force such as this anymore."

He looked around them again with a wide smile on his face and Korrah bit her lip to keep from snorting. _"Figures he'd find staying on a freaking swamp planet a mini vacation. It's wouldn't be that hard to believe that the Jedi High Council duties are just that boring."_

Yoda started walking forward. "Follow, young ones. Special training I will instruct you in for as long as remain here we do. But begin that tomorrow we will. Today, make camp we must."

Korrah felt a thrill of surprise shoot through her at the prospect of training with Yoda – and in such a similar manner to Luke too – but then stopped and raised a finger. "Wait, uh, Master Yoda…are we really going to be living in the _swamp_? Why can't we just live on the ship?"

The alien Jedi Master crawled over another root and motioned onward with his cane. "Defeat the purpose of this training that would. Come, see good shelter ahead of us I do."

Korrah heart sank and sent a brief look of dismay over to her Master, but his own face was free of expression and he followed the little alien without question, leaving her to wallow in her own laments. Her shoulders drooped.

" _Yay, a camping trip. In a_ _ **swamp**_ _. Woo-hoo."_

* * *

The days seemed to pass by in a seamless stream until it had been almost three weeks since the three of them had first landed on the swamp planet of Dagobah. Master Yoda was a ruthless, but committed teacher and one on one instruction from him was much more intense than Korrah ever remembered him being during the group lessons she'd had with him as an Initiate.

The uneven ground was treacherous and slippery. She'd lost count of how many times she'd lost her footing or tripped over some invisible root and gone head first into the marshy water.

Which, by the way, tasted _awful!_

' _Like gargling cat piss_!' to use something Laura would have said.

Master Sifo-Dyas seemed to have been relegated by Master Yoda strictly to meditation. The abundant presence of the Force made it an ideal location for deepening one's connection to the Living Force, the older Master had said. Korrah barely saw her Master during this time as she was subsequently being drilled into the ground by the little green troll and his own idea of fitness boot camp. The climbing and swinging from vines exercises were rather enjoyable, but the days she had to spend running and flipping for miles on the uneven ground with Yoda perched on her back were absolute torture. At not even half of her size, the Jedi Master was surprisingly heavy and it only seemed to grow more so the longer their runs lasted.

Any attempts at maintaining cleanliness was tossed out of Korrah's mind within the second day. Mud was _everywhere_ and she just had to grit her teeth and live with it.

The training was grueling and demanded more from her than anything had before, but it had slowly become almost fun as she slowly noticed herself improving, especially after her Master had shown her a little trick on how to manipulate her Force signature in a way that diverted the swarms of bugs away from her person. Ironically, he'd perfected it during his recent meditation sessions from having to sit still in the swamp for days on end and now seemed to sympathize with her innate dislike of the flying pests.

Korrah all but collapsed into her bedding completely exhausted by the time each day ended and was out like a light before her head hit the pillow until the next morning.

Tonight, she expected, would be no different.

Except that it was.

Every one of her muscles ached with fatigue after climbing up and swinging around on vines all day to Yoda's instructions and her body was begging for rest.

The other two Jedi were already fast asleep while she tossed and turned in her bedding. Finally, Korrah threw off her blanket and moved over to the gap between the large roots of the hollowed tree they were using for shelter.

There was no moon to cast light through the thick canopy of trees all around them. As dark as it was, she could make out the soft, thick mist which had risen up from the ground and carpeted everything in its lazy, slow-moving march into the night. Just as she started to feel calmer staring out into the dim trees, she saw a something glinting out of the corner of her eyes.

The fireflies!

They flew closer in a swirling formation, stopping in front of her field of vision just outside the hollowed tree.

" **You must come."**

Korrah flinched back at the voice. It was airy, echoing and slightly feminine. She made as if to reach out and shake Master Sifo-Dyas awake, but the disembodied voice from the fireflies stopped her.

" **You must come alone."**

"I can't leave camp without telling anyone!" Korrah whispered.

The fireflies swarmed closer and the voice interrupted her, insistent.

" **Alone."**

Her teeth clicked back together and she stifled a growl of defiance, staring over at the two Jedi Masters again as uncertainty warred within her. She finally sighed quietly and pulled on her boots, clipping her lightsaber to her belt out of habit, and exited the small camp.

" _Okay…here's goes nothing."_

The strong urge to look back gnawed Korrah as she followed the tiny glowing insects through the darkness further and further away from camp. She didn't like how she was acting, sneaking away like this, but the fireflies were getting farther and farther ahead of her. If she took her eyes off them for one second, she'd lose sight of her only light source and be stuck alone in the dark swamp.

She traveled onward for what seemed like half an hour when without a warning, the fireflies just winked out of existence, leaving her blind.

The sudden darkness made her blink and step back. Her ankle slipped off of a rock and twisted painfully to the side. She fell down hard on her butt on the soggy ground.

"Oow." Korrah groaned. She felt mud clinging to her clothes and water soaking through them.

" _This was my last set of clean tunics too."_

Her eyes slowly adjusted back to her dim surroundings, flitting around and registering the features of her location until they fixed on the cave right in front of her.

Korrah swallowed. _"Yeah…this is what I was afraid of."_ She got up. _"No point in putting it off though. If this is why I'm here, better to just get this over with."_

She approached the shadowed cavern but paused, suddenly remembering her lightsaber clipped to her belt and Yoda's words from a far off future. Reluctantly, she removed it and placed it on top of a flat rock nearby where she could easily find it when she came out.

Letting out one last long breath, she ducked under the loose branches and cautiously walked into the cave.

* * *

Sifo-Dyas blinked awake. There was something crawling over his face and picking at his short beard. He immediately swiped it off and turned over with a tired sigh ready to slip back into unconsciousness.

Then he spotted Korrah's empty blankets.

He sat up. "Korrah."

There was no answer. With his eyes already well adjusted to the night, he looked around their small campsite, but didn't see her. Pulling on his boots he stifled a yawn and moved outside the tree and called out louder.

"Korrah!"

Shuffling from behind him signaled Yoda rising to his disturbance.

"Here you calling I do. Lost has young Korrah become?" The little alien emerged from beneath the large tree.

Sifo-Dyas shook his head. "I don't think so, she wouldn't go off on her own, but she's not here, Master Yoda."

That confused him. If Korrah had simply been relieving herself, she would have stayed close enough to answer his call and she wasn't the type who would wander off at night without telling him.

That feeling of apprehension for his Padawan once again creeped into his mind, clouding his thoughts and he forced himself to pass it into the Force.

" _But where is she?"_

As if sensing his thoughts, Yoda pointed an accusatory claw at him. "Connected through the Force all living things are. Focused on training you in the Living Force I have and chose now forget what you have learned you do! Know how to find your Padawan you do Sifo-Dyas. Feel the Force flowing around you."

The Jedi Knight grimaced then took in a calming breath, closing his eyes. It still didn't come naturally to him, but the past weeks had made him much better at discerning between individual living beings through the Force. The energy moved around him in lazy streams touching every little lifeform that inhabited Dagobah. So little happened here to disturb the natural flow on this planet. He found a disturbance in the nearby foliage and concentrated harder, following it.

" _There is no emotion, there is peace…"_

There it was! Korrah's signature in its usual surprising shade of royal blue was shining brightly, moving away from them. Reassured by this he went back and grabbed his lightsaber.

"I'm going after her."

Yoda nodded and motioned for the human to pick him up. "Go with you I will."

The two Jedi moved quickly across the dark swamp land pausing only once when Sifo-Dyas almost fell into a murky pool when he suddenly felt Korrah's presence become shrouded in a dark veil, almost cutting him off from her completely. He increased his pace and it didn't take them long to reach the spot where he had lost Korrah's Force signature.

Yoda climbed down from the Jedi Knight's shoulders and stood staring intently at the cave in front of them as his companion went over to the side and picked up something.

"This is her lightsaber! She knows better than to go anywhere without it."

Sifo-Dyas stared at the cave. It had to be the one from her vision, but more important was the clawing, cold _**evil**_ he that could sense seeping from it. The Dark Side of the Force was infesting this place and Korrah had undoubtedly gone inside, he just knew it! He had to get her out! He'd only taken a single step towards the cave himself before Yoda stopped him.

"Enter we cannot."

Sifo-Dyas rounded on Yoda, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What?! But Master Yoda-!"

"Called to this planet you both were and called also to this place she has been. Alone has she heard this call and alone she must face and overcome what awaits her inside. Feel strongly I do the same presence of the Dark Side that you do, Sifo-Dyas, but enter the cave we cannot. Grave danger to your Padawan and yourself you will bring down and entrap you both it will."

His vision pulled itself to the forefront of his mind. The fear, the desperation pulled at him and he struggled to call the Force in aiding him release the emotions.

"There must be something we can do!"

Yoda brought his cane down hard on the Jedi's foot. "Calm yourself you must! Wait here we will until exit the cave Korrah does."

The Grandmaster's voice harbored no room for argument. Sifo-Dyas unwillingly sat down on the rock he retrieved Korrah's lightsaber from and willed himself to meditate.

" _There is no emotion. There is…peace…"_

* * *

On the inside it looked like a perfectly normal cave. Korrah's eyes had adjusted to the dark and she wasn't tripping over every root and rock she passed anymore. Usually, Korrah liked exploring caves. However the anticipation of the unknown kept her on edge. Minutes, _hours_ passed as she walked further in.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, something stirred among the hanging vines and she froze as a short figure stepped out in front of her. It was the _last_ person she could have ever expected to see.

"Hello Mom."

Korrah suddenly couldn't breathe. It was Kenta. Here! How-?

Two more boys joined her son, their identical faces lit up with relief and joy.

"Mom!"

"You're here!"

No! Anything but this, please! She couldn't believe this was real! No matter how badly she wanted to speak to her sons just one. _More_. _Time_.

"Kenta…Alan, Tori…what, what are you doing here?"

The logical part of herself was still screaming in the back of her mind not to believe what she was seeing; that it was all an illusion, these were not her children.

Then, another taller person walked out of the dark and she felt herself start to cry at the sight of Ken. _Her_ Ken.

 _-No! Not mine…an illusion!-_

But she remembered their faces so clearly!

"We've been so worried. Now we can go home!" Ken said.

"…home?"

Alan looked up at her with sad, sad eyes. Her youngest, her baby boy. "Are you going to leave us again?"

The hope in Tori's voice broke her heart apart. "You can stay! It'll be just as you remember it!"

Stiffly, she shook her head. "I…I can't." she begged them to understand. Kenta's face twisted into an enraged snarl causing her to recoil in shock. She'd never seen such an expression on her son's face before!

"You're abandoning us again! You just found us, but now you're going to say you can't stay? Don't you love us?!" His words were white hot knives driven straight into her heart. She grabbed at the wall to steady herself.

"Of course I love you! I will always love you! I would have **died** for you!"

Ken held out his hand. "Then come with us."

It looked like his hand. She wanted to believe this was real! She wanted her family back so much…

 _-But you know the truth. You must remember who you are.-_

"…What is my name…?"

Ken – _NO! Not Ken_ – frowned. "What?"

"What is my name?" she whispered again. "I've never told anyone here, but you should know. If you're really my husband and children you should know _my name_."

"…it's Tokugawa. Don't you remember?"

She shook her head. "My _first_ name!"

The – _imposter!_ – image of her husband stood there arms raised. "What is this? A test? Why? We're your _family_ , don't you trust us?"

Cold validation settled in Korrah's chest.

"It was _Laura._ Laura Tokugawa." she answered for them in a barely audible voice. Raising her face she gasped against the weight in her chest as she continued. "She was a daughter, a sister and mother, who loved swimming and singing and whose greatest dream was to fall in love and get married, to start her own family…she lived in Montana and loved her husband and three sons more than life itself, would have done _anything_ to keep them safe," Korrah dragged in a shuddering breath. "And she _died!_ She _**died**_ and left everything she had behind and there was _nothing she could've done to stop it!_ "

She wiped away the bitter tears streaming down her face. Her chest felt hollow, like everything inside had been carved out.

"It's not her fault. It's not _my_ fault." She echoed.

" _ **Come with us! You will destroy this galaxy if you stay!"**_ the four imposters spoke as one, their voices distorting and blending over each other.

"For what it was worth," she interrupted in a small, wistful voice, gazing at them with Laura's ghost in her eyes. "It was…nice…to see their faces…just one more time."

Then Korrah turned and fled. Fresh tears stung her eyes but she didn't stop.

Behind her a terrifying roar of pure rage tore from the throats of the specters. They evaporated out of their physical forms and into a dark roiling, churning wave of anger, pain, hatred and _rage_ that surged closer, closer! Korrah's heart beat faster, feeling like a hunted animal. Tripping she fell, bruising her knees and sharp branches caught at the back of her clothes cutting deep into the skin of her back like clawed hands as if to pull her back, but she pushed herself up and blindly stumbled forward ignoring the searing pain.

Urgent voices were calling out behind her. Her sons, Ken's, Reba's, even Savah and Devahin's!

 _Away!_ She had to get away and _don't look back_ -!

Fresh air suddenly hit her face like a splash of ice water. Gasping out, she numbly registered she had gotten out of the cave, the muted sunlight blinding her.

"Korrah!"

She reached out in the direction of Sifo-Dyas' panicked voice and collapsed boneless into his arms as they closed around her. And for the first time in a long while, she wept over her lost family.

* * *

Sifo-Dyas was fast losing his patience. Meditation had stopped instilling its usual calming effect it had always had on him during the previous day.

 _There is no emotion…there is…peace…_

Yet peace was not coming to him at all. It eluded his grasp like oil in water. He had finally reached his limit. With a determined breath he opened his eyes and squared his jaw.

"We've been waiting for far too long. I have to go after her."

A sharp rap from Yoda's cane to his kneecap stopped him from rising.

"Continue to wait you will, Sifo-Dyas."

"Master, it's the _third_ day she's been in there!"

There was a hardness to Yoda's features the likes of which he had not seen in years. He was treading upon dangerous territory but challenging the older Jedi like this, but he was too far gone to care.

"At work here the will of the Force is. Something that we cannot interrupt nor hasten! A test this is, one that young Korrah must face alone. Help her you cannot, Sifo-Dyas. Release your fear you must!"

The human's thoughts raged against Yoda's words. _"She's just a young girl! I'm her Master, I'm supposed to be the one preparing her for her Trials to come. So why am I_ _ **now**_ _forbidden to help her when I can feel she needs me?"_

Anything he would had said was forgotten when guttural howl suddenly emanated from within the cave, raising the hairs on the back of his neck stiff and Sifo-Dyas whipped his head back around, snapping to attention. A foul draft crawled over his skin with an unnatural chill and he was jumping to his feet in a second, calling across the training bond to his Padawan, desperate for any sign or response that she could hear him.

" _ **Korrah**_ _!"_

For a heart-stopping second he thought he could feel her presence again, and then wave of relief unlike anything he had felt before in his life surged through him at the sight of his Padawan's stumbling form all but sprinting out of the dark cave's entrance towards him.

In two short strides he was in front of her catching her. She gripped at him with a frenzied strength before going limp and broke down in tears. Impressions flowed freely across their bond. There was so much emotional pain tearing at his Padawan! Where had it all come from?

" _This can't just be from whatever happened in that cave, it's too old, too deep! How have I never noticed something like this? How long has she been hiding this wound from me?"_

He gripped her shoulders and pull her away slightly. Her hazel eyes were red and filled with agony and Sifo-Dyas remembered in that moment that she was only twelve-years-old, but she seemed so much older. There was just too much behind that gaze; children didn't have eyes like this.

"Korrah, why did you leave camp? What. _Happened_?"

She shook her head, obviously not wanting to answer him, but still did anyway. "I- I saw my family, just as I'd left them. They- they accused me…said I had abandoned them…for leaving them behind. That I didn't _love_ them!"

Her hand fisted his clothes tighter and Sifo-Dyas had to mentally brace himself as her grief almost overwhelmed him.

"But I _didn't_ abandon them! I _never_ abandoned them! I died and there was nothing I could do! And then I had to leave Savah and Devahin behind…my parents…it was to protect them!"

His initial relief at finding Korrah was slowly settling, and he realized she was too distraught to explain herself clearly. At a complete loss over what to do, he simply sat down there as his student leaned in and buried her face deeper in to his tunics as she sobbed uncontrollably. Whatever it was she'd experienced inside the cave had disturbed his Padawan deeply, but he couldn't help her work through it until she had calmed down. He tried to awkwardly pat her back in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture, but stopped when she flinched hard at the contact.

Looking down at his hand, he gasped in horror as he realized it had come away sticky with blood! The dark liquid was soaking through the back of Korrah's tunics which were ripped and shredded as if they'd been clawed through by some hostile beast.

Taking action, he lifted her up and held her to his chest.

Yoda stood up as well. "Returning to camp we are."

* * *

The three of them were silent by the time they arrived back at the tree. Yoda retrieved their medical supplies from the ship and they sat around as Sifo-Dyas coaxed his student to let go of him.

Korrah had finally stopped crying, leaving her face drawn and pale around her inflamed, red-rimmed eyes. She sat still and compliant as Sifo-Dyas treated her back. Peeling away the bloody cloth had revealed deep cuts crossing over each other like claw marks.

He applied their limited supply of bacta and wrapped the bandages over it as gently as he could. He was no healer and worried over the three deepest wounds she had suffered. They spanned the entire length of her back over her spine.

" _Those are going to scar. We don't have enough bacta to prevent it and even if we left for a civilized planet now it would be too late anyway."_ He thought.

There was something about the wounds on Korrah's back that he didn't like. Like an itch that he could barely sense through the Force while treating them and…it unsettled him. Like they carried a poison he couldn't find.

After Korrah carefully replaced her cleanest, undamaged tunics over her bandaged back she moved around and bowed in thanks to him. He noticed her tense anyway as she did so.

"Is it still painful?" he asked.

She shook her head carefully. "It is much better now, Master. Thank you."

Yoda took over questioning his Padawan. The old Jedi didn't seem to be upset or condemning, but incredibly pensive in his countenance. He was thinking very hard over something. "See things when inside the cave you entered did you?"

"Yes, Master Yoda."

She didn't embellish her answer and the green Jedi was quiet for a few seconds as Sifo-Dyas wondered why he didn't ask her about what she had seen inside the cave. "Leave your lightsaber behind you did. Why was that, hm?"

" _I am curious about that as well."_ Sifo-Dyas thought as he set aside the medical kit.

The girl shifted and brushed her long braided hair back over her shoulders. "I…knew I wouldn't need it inside. That I would face only what I took in with me."

"And know this how did you?"

"A vision." She said. "Of…you. Teaching a student here. He asked you what was in the cave and…that's what you said to him."

Yoda hummed and squinted his eyes at her. Her admission had peaked Sifo-Dyas's curiosity and he wondered when she had had this particular vision.

"Feel now how do you, young Korrah?"

"…at peace." She whispered. The ghost of a smile seemed to soften her face and Sifo-Dyas felt a great weight fall away from his shoulders at the sight.

The Jedi Grandmaster nodded slowly at her.

"A Trial of the Spirit I believe you have faced young Korrah…and passed."

Sifo-Dyas' head shot up, shocked by Yoda's words.

" _What! One of her Trials! Already? Surely not, it…it hasn't even been three full years since she became my Padawan. And she's still so_ _ **young**_ _!"_

Korrah look surprised too before averting her head down and staring at her hands. She picked at the dried mud under her fingernails.

"Masters…I would like to go meditate."

Yoda waved her away. "Go youngling. Clear your mind and release your feelings into the Force. Much you have faced and your rest you will need."

Korrah bowed from her waist and exited the hollow tree. Sifo-Dyas moved to follow her outside.

He sat nearby, waiting patiently until she came out of her trance and opened her eyes. They sat there in silence for a while until the sun started sinking towards the horizon. Out in the distance he could hear thunder rumbling, building into one of Dagobah's soaking rainstorms.

"To have Master Yoda say you've passed one of your Trials at such a young age…I'm very proud of you, you know that." He said.

Korrah gave a sardonic laugh. "I haven't been a child since I was two years old and experienced my first vision, Master." She pulled a piece of root away from the tree and rolled it between her fingers. "But even after I…woke up I wasn't- well, I was really confused, a little angry and even depressed by what had happened to me. But eventually I simply accepted it and continued on as I could. I was still… _me_ , just something more now. My parents were good, loving people and were always there when it felt like it was about to become too much. They accepted what had happened, that I was…different now. I was…I was happy."

"Is this why you ignore your visions Korrah?"

She fiddled with the twisted piece of root in her hands. "There are times I missed the innocence, the ignorance I used to have and while I was still with my parents…my mother was scared that my visions were hurting me and agonized over not being able to stop them from happening. They made her so upset that I eventually stopped acknowledging them and one day…I realized maybe I could just ignore them. If I didn't obsess over my visions, I could still be, well, relatively normal."

Sifo-Dyas leaned back as this new information settled in over his mind.

" _So that's why she ignores them. Her visions started coming to her too strongly while she was too young. Younglings who have visions don't usually start remembering them until their at least five or six standard years, when they can better recognize their own thoughts from the impressions from the Force. It was the same for me at that age, but at two years old? She's afraid of her visions changing her again."_

The heavy implications of what he would have to guide Korrah through as her Jedi Master began to sink in. He resolved to talk with Master Che as soon as possible when they returned to Coruscant.

" _I suppose it's just a wonder she still goes to bed without question every night rather than try to force herself to stop sleeping altogether."_

"They weren't exactly fun to watch anyway."

He looked back at her as she continued talking. Now that she had started it seemed everything was going to be laid out in the open tonight.

"I'd see people die or worse, I'd see people _fail_ and doom others to die. Among some of the worst visions that kept coming back there was one that showed a darkness. Growing and spreading until it held the entire galaxy."

Sifo-Dyas once again thought back to the recorded words of Master Thame and a terrible sense of foreboding settled over him.

" _The return of the Dark Side. Is the Order ready for such times? Or the Republic?"_ he wondered.

"Have you spoken with anyone about these sorts of visions?" Even if it wasn't him, Sifo-Dyas wanted to know that his Padawan had at least _one_ person she could have gone to with this.

"Master Che knows the most, but not all of them, just the ones that I had while in the crèche, but I told another one to Master Yoda the day before he brought me to the Temple." She paused and frowned.

"I also told him that day that I could feel the Force telling me to go with him, but that I could never stop loving my parents. That I was too old to do that, but that didn't mean I didn't understand what I was sacrificing by leaving them."

Sifo-Dyas was confused. "What do you mean Korrah?"

"My parents didn't want to give me up to the Jedi Order, but I chose to go anyway. I was only _four_ and I _understood_ what joining the Order meant. Swearing off attachments and living according to the Code when I knew that was something _I couldn't do_ ; to hell with the Force urging me to go with Master Yoda and become a Jedi! But if I had stayed, my parents would have been killed. So I left."

Thunder rolled again, getting closer. It wouldn't be long before the storm was upon them.

He took a deep breath. Something in this moment compelled him to be honest with his student and tell her of what he'd been keeping from her for the past two years.

"Korrah, leaving your family behind and following the Force…was for the best. The Jedi High Council have reason to believe that you…could be the Chosen One. The one the prophecy foretold would bring balance to the Force."

Her face morphed into one of confusion, then shock…and then one of fear.

"Wha-…no, _no_! I can't be the Chosen One! I'm _not_!"

Sifo-Dyas reached for her hands. "Korrah look at me."

He calmly continued once she met his eyes. "Listen, your mother wasn't capable of carrying a child and yet she had you. On top of that, you possess the highest midiclorian count in the _entire_ Order. Even more than Master Yoda."

She shook her head. "But it just can't be…it's not me."

"Why are you so insistent on denying this?"

She opened her mouth as if to answer then stopped and looked down and away.

"Korrah."

She shut her eyes tightly. "…I…I don't want to be the Chosen One. It's…it is not a…painless life."

" _Another vision."_ He thought, hope sinking. _"She has to get over her fear of her abilities. If the darkness is truly approaching then she_ _ **must**_ _be ready for it."_

He released her hands and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. "We'll talk more of this later. But for now…"

He reached up and pulled her Padawan braid free from the rest of her hair. Korrah sat still as he brought out a small box from his belt and opened it. Calm, silent minutes wrapped around them as he smoothed out the mud and debris with a small fine tooth comb.

" _The Padawan Learner's Braid…three parts: the Master, the Padawan, and the Force. Bound together as one."_

Sifo-Dyas tried to think back to a time when he had believed he'd never be doing this with a student of his own, but in hindsight, especially of his actions and emotions earlier that morning when Korrah had finally come out of that cave, it all seemed so far away now.

Taking a small spool of black thread, he unwound a measured length and tied it around the highest part of her thin braid before letting it fall back by her face.

"The Trial of the Spirit is one of the most daunting trials we face on the path to Knighthood." He intoned. "For within it we don't face external darkness, but rather face and conquer the darkness that dwells within our deepest self. Now go get some sleep and focus on recovering, Padawan."

Korrah silently nodded and ducked under the tree roots to her bedding. Sifo-Dyas watched her, waiting outside awhile longer before entering himself and lay back in his own bedding, left alone to his own thoughts and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Korrah lay awake that night unable to sleep. The soft snores of Yoda and Sifo-Dyas could be heard off to her side as rain poured down outside their shelter.

The young Padawan's mind was muddled with the content of their conversation playing on repeat and she stared at the cave ceiling in a daze.

The Jedi Council believed she was the Chosen One! Ridiculous! So what if her midiclorian count was high? That wasn't the sure sign of their so-called messiah. And supposed near miraculous circumstances around her birth? Her mother's physical body had simply been ill-equipped for child-bearing. It was sad and tragic fact, one that she had suffered much pain for in her quest for a child, but that was the truth and beyond that, the medical technology this galaxy contained was amazing! _Freaking_ _bacta,_ for just one example, was a total cheat! Surely the Jedi weren't so removed from science that they would put more stock in some vague prophecy than the more logical explanation.

Besides, if she remembered anything of the story of Anakin Skywalker's life from Before, it was not an overall happy nor desirable one. Certainly not what she would want for herself.

The worst part about it was that she had a _theory_ that everything that had happened had somehow been orchestrated by the Force. That to achieve balance, the Force had worked through its so-called 'Chosen One' to simply wipe the board clean and start over. From Before, she had always been of the general opinion that the Jedi Order had simply migrated too far away from their initial focus: following the will of the Force. Thus, they fell victim to the machinations of the Sith in following will of the Republic instead, which had been manipulated by fear. Was there a chance that she was wrong? Her research during her years as an Initiate had given her a much broader and deeper understanding of the Order's past and present standing. But did that translate to what she'd seen of the Order's future from Before or her visions in the present? At the very least, she didn't know anything that counteracted her theory. Not yet, anyway.

Her instructors at the Temple may not know why, but there was a reason Kreia was her favorite historic individual to study.

A chill went through her and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself as her back ached. To be honest, the Force was so…impersonal, sometimes. Sterile. At times it frightened her. The visions it caused her to have agitated her. It was unsettling to have to try to reason out what they meant; which one was preventive or preparative. She missed the days of her old life when she was too exhausted between caring for her husband and children and her job to do anything but fall asleep when her head hit her pillow.

There were times when she would forget her hesitance and embrace this new magical phenomenon, basking in the effervescent energy, but the cautious side of herself always came back. Master Yoda always said that the Force had a will of its own, but what was that supposed to be? What did it want with her?

There were just too many questions! What was her purpose according to its will? Why did she exist? Was the Force's will for her life _good_? How did she know with any certainty that she could trust it?

It was inexplicable, the distrust that she harbored towards the Force, but _something_ was always holding her back from doing so on an unconditional level. These last few days and her experience in the Cave had done nothing to diminish that caution.

Unanswered questions and worries plagued her until her mind landed on one: what was she going to do now?

Suddenly, her thoughts stopped dead. An idea came to her, slowly, no more than a misty web that was quickly coming together into something more.

" _I'm_ _ **not**_ _the Chosen One…"_ Of that she was sure. _"…but…no one has to know that."_

A plan started forming in Korrah's mind. One that could potentially – _drastically_ – alter the course of the story that she'd known from Before as Laura Tokugawa. The night wore on and the young girl stayed awake. As she mulled over her thoughts, the more confident she became in her decision.

She could do this. She could use her knowledge to protect those she wanted to protect, to stop the Sith from taking over the Galaxy.

She could perhaps, even save the Republic from the corruption and weakness that had infested it in its later years. Prevent the Jedi from falling into complacency and dogma that left them open to fear and the Sith's tactics.

It would take years. Decades! But a new sense of purpose began to grow within Korrah. Strong and determined.

She finally knew what she wanted to do.

* * *

 **Chandrila…**

Devahin hated the rain, not that this could count as such. The Chandrilan skies were overcast and releasing a light drizzle over everyone who ventured outside. It wasn't the kind of weather that they had often on their moderate planet, however, on this day he welcomed the shift. It was not a day for the sun to be shining.

He suddenly wished Marrine was still alive to give him advice in this moment, but immediately dismissed that thought. It was kinder that she wasn't here to suffer through this tragedy; to lay to rest a young woman that she had raise and loved as her own.

They were dressed in formal black attire as they somberly watched the two graves being filled in, burying the bodies of Bashar and Tylie Fenn; husband and wife and unfortunate victims of a speeder crash. The initial accident had killed Bashar instantly. Tylie had passed away from her injuries before reaching the Med Center.

Savah shivered and sniffed next to him and he looked over, deeply concerned for her. She was already exhausted from weeping herself almost sick the night before and this wasn't the kind of weather she should be out in. He took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders, careful not to jostle the small bundle sleeping in her arms.

Tylie's eight-month-old infant daughter, Audaum Fenn was the only survivor of the crash. The late couple's Last Will and Testament had named him and Savah their daughter's guardians in the case of a tragic even such as this. They had even spoken about it in passing when Tylie named Savah Audaum's godmother.

" _I've known since we were children together that you were born to be a mother, Savah. Always taking care of me and following 'Mama-rine' around. I can rest in peace knowing you'd be there to take care of my precious girl should anything happen."_

Both Savah and Tylie had been orphaned at a young age and the two of them had grown up as sisters in all but blood while being raised under Marrine's care. The loss of her beloved foster sister had taken its toll on his wife, but she held herself together. For little Audaum's sake and one other.

Devahin looked down at the young eleven-year-old boy with flat, brown hair who stood pressed into Savah's other side. He was holding her hand tightly and watching everyone about him with cautious green eyes.

The boy's name was Vinry. He had come into Savah and Devahin's home a year after their precious little girl had been taken to the Jedi Order. No one knew if he had any other name. Chandrilan authorities had discovered him on a scuttled ship drifting in the planet's atmosphere. A life-support failure had left him the only survivor, but if the investigative report filed over the incident was accurate, then he had initiated the malfunction and killed the rest of the crew.

However, Devahin didn't feel any unease at this information. In fact, he could only feel grim satisfaction over it, especially after being told that the deceased that had been aboard had been pirate scum, several of them with sizable bounties listed for them.

The boy had refused to say anything to the authorities besides his name. With no other information on his background or family to claim him, he had ended up in Chandrila's foster care system where he had come under their care.

The day he entered their home, Savah had come alive almost overnight. It had been the most natural thing. The two of them had just clicked within minutes of meeting and over the weeks, found solace and comfort in each other in a way that had almost brought him to tears. He had been so relieved at the turn of events he had signed the adoption papers immediately upon Savah presenting them to him and welcomed the boy into their home. Vinry had taken a longer time to adjust to him, but Devahin didn't take it to heart. The boy's scars probably ran deeper than anybody knew.

Vinry had drawn Savah away from that dark place she'd almost found herself in and he'd always be grateful for that. Everyone knew Vinry was Savah's son. And his.

The funeral finally came to a close and the attendees began to trickle away.

Lorrie was walking over after speaking with Bashar's somber mother and father. They would be returning to their home world within the next month after spending some time with them and saying good bye to Audaum. Bashar's parents would have taken in their granddaughter, but they knew they were too old to properly take care of such a young baby.

The friends embraced and Savah mustered a smile for the Mon Calamari before she left.

Devahin gaze fixed upon his wife and their two adoptive children. The sight eased his heart and gave him hope, yet he knew they were still missing one.

If only Korrah were here, then they would've been complete. Wherever she was, he prayed she was happy.

"She's okay." Vinry said quietly. He was always quiet, but his voice was calm and sure. He looked up at Devahin and gave him one of his rare smiles.

"She'll come back."

* * *

 **A/N: Aaaaand done! I didn't think I had it in me to do another chapter over 10,000 words again but it's nice to know I can still surprise myself.**

 **There was a reviewer who identified Vinry from an earlier chapter and thought that he would be Savah's biological child, but the plan has always been for him to be the couple's** _ **adopted**_ **son. Hopefully that cleared that up (though it was a good guess!) as well as introduce Audaum, Savah's goddaughter and their second adoptive child. All ripples in the grand web of the narrative.**

 **Another round of thanks to all of you who have read, followed, favorited and reviewed this story! You guys are awesome! Please leave any comments or constructive criticisms in the review box and have a wonderful day!**

 **-ObsidianShadow1994**


	13. Chapter 12: Marked

**A/N:** **IMPORTANT** **– So, I'm happy that I've successfully transferred to my desired University and am starting classes again, but this unfortunately means that I will be devoting my time towards homework and classes FIRST. So it is likely there will be** _ **very**_ **long periods of time in between updates over the next semester. I will try to keep this work going as I truly enjoy writing it, but schoolwork comes first and I hope you all understand.**

 **Thank you for following me so far and welcome to those of you who have just recently joined this story. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Marked

Tahl and Qui-Gon sat around the common room table of the Noorian Padawan's apartment working on their homework.

Over their heads, Korrah's 'pet' droid was zooming around enjoying itself. After suffering an unfortunate 'accident' that ruined its legs, Tahl had put in the effort of fixing the little thing so it regained its independent mobility. Its newest repair job now enabled it to rotate its six new legs around its body a full three-hundred sixty degrees at speeds sufficient to grant the droid hover and flight capability.

Relishing its new ability Chibi chirped triumphantly in binary and swooped down from the ceiling where it started buzzing circles around Qui-Gon's head and beeped in a teasing manner.

The boy in question just smirked as he looked up from his class work and held out a hand, palm up, manipulating invisible energy around them and freezing the droid in mid-air. The little droid started struggling, spinning its legs faster and beeping down angrily at him.

"Heh, what happened to 'you're unstoppable', huh?" he mocked.

Chibi's sensor probes sparked at him, but were too far away to do any damage. It buzzed at him again, even more outraged.

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and released his hold on the Force, causing the infernal droid to spiral away from its attempts to free itself and fly off into the kitchen.

Tahl looked up from her work and raised an eyebrow at her friend suspiciously. "You really seem to enjoy teasing that thing, you know? And I know you don't care about droids."

"Like owner, like droid." He stated and shrugged unrepentantly as Tahl chuckled, shaking her head. "Why'd you have to give the midget's mechanical menace the ability to fly anyway? You could have just replaced the appendages with ones made out of stronger material."

"Well, after you broke the droid's legs when you stepped on it-"

"By accident! It was crawling around on the floor under the kriffin' furniture! How was I supposed to spot the tiny thing?"

"-Uhuh, sure you did, and I had a convenient assignment due in my mechanics class. So, it was a win-win situation all around."

A pregnant pause stretched between them. The kind that waits for someone to speak first. Tahl stopped writing her essay and rested her chin in her palm.

"I'm starting to miss her."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "It's only been a month and a half. It isn't that long for a training excursion."

Tahl sighed, tapping her stylus on the table. "Yes, but it's not like Master Yoda can be gone from the Temple for too long with his duties, so they should be coming back soon. I hope she won't be too mad at me for changing Chibi while she was away."

Her study buddy reached over for a different holo-book on the table and looked over the schematics. "She'll kick my shins and call me a clumsy rancor for breaking it in the first place, but I'm sure she's going to love it, Tahl. And now we'll have a flying Lock-Pick droid loose in the Temple. I hope you realize the kind of monster you've created. Soon it'll start an urban legend or something like…The Invisible Lock-Pick Gremlin that sneaks around locking you out of your apartment."

The Noorian kicked him under the table and smirked slyly. "Oh, you mean like Coruscant's Blue Iktotchi Ghost?"

"That wasn't my fault!" He cursed himself for answering too quickly and fought down a blush. "That was _all_ Korrah's fault for getting Roloh hyped up on hot chocolate! I was an innocent bystander! _Kriff_ , I even did the most to keep that debacle from escalating and getting us caught." He groused as he shot her the evil eye. "And I thought we all agreed never to talk about that." Tahl just laughed.

The Noorian Padawan went back to composing her report. "You and Master Dooku are doing better now it seems." She commented offhandedly.

Qui-Gon sighed. "We-…we've been…talking. Sort of."

"That's good. How long ago did it start and who started it?"

He grimace. Tahl patted his arm. "I'm just asking as a concerned friend. Did you bury the hatchet and speak with Dooku about Devaron?"

He shook his head. "No, Master Dooku did, surprisingly enough. Just over a month ago, I came in to the apartment and Master told me to fix tea and join him in the common room."

The tall youth leaned back in his chair and balanced on the back legs. He stared at the ceiling contemplatively.

"He gave some sort of flowery, long-winded speech that he no doubt had been rehearsing in his mind before he told me to sit down. It was very…aristocratic…no, more like diplomatic with big, posh sounding words, but I got the gist of it which was him explaining the reasons behind his displeasure of my actions on Devaron and why, but…well, it wasn't a lecture, at least."

" _Just confusing as hell."_ He thought silently. It had been years since the Jedi Master had taken him on as his student and he'd never felt the need to explain things beyond how to properly do them, not so much his thoughts behind them. He'd even gotten a few comments of his own in for a change.

"And the results?"

"…Neither of us apologized, but we haven't been…fighting or ignoring each other anymore if that's what you're asking."

He ran a hand across his face. He should probably shave soon, if only because his scruff was starting to annoy _him_ and catch on his pillowcase when he tried to sleep.

"I'm glad." Tahl murmured. She glanced his way as her stylus moved across the page she was writing.

"Sometimes I worry about that. I'll admit, the way you can stay so fixed in your decisions and beliefs is one of your best traits, but when you start to take things too far and refuse…well, more tactful means of communication, you just end up alienating yourself from others. Despite good intentions."

She flipped over to another page. "Not to mention the kinds of danger you keep getting yourself caught up in." Finishing her essay, she set it aside. "A little caution would be advisable, if only to help put my mind slightly more at ease when I'm not around."

Qui-Gon rubbed his chin tiredly. "I can't fully explain it, Tahl, but the Force…calls me, sometimes. Always in the heat of the moment." His voice became introspective. "The Living Force is vibrant and _alive_ ; always moving. I've learned that stopping to try and think on it for too long…one moment it's there and then next it's lost."

Qui-Gon's chair rocked back and forth and he continued to balance on it. Homework forgotten as his mind drifted.

"You know, I distinctly remember feeling it strongly when I first met Korrah." A pensive expression stole over his features as he thought back to that first meeting. "An impression of…purpose. There was a need to watch over her."

Tahl raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I see. So, you took on the role of her reliable and protective friend. That's very admirable." There was a teasing bent to her expression now. "Out of curiosity, Qui-Gon, did the Force call you to be friends with me too?"

A gentleness softened his features when he focused back on her. "No, you did."

Striped eyes met bright blue and the two of them exchanged smiles in understanding. A rare, quiet moment passed between the close friends, filled with a vague longing and unspoken words, acknowledged and set aside again still unspoken. Then the moment passed and the room fell into a comfortable silence, the rest of the afternoon spent just enjoying the other's presence. It was interrupted almost half an hour later when urgent knocking sounded at the door. Being the hostess, Tahl went to answer it and was greeted by a widely smiling Roloh Vaah.

"She's back you guys!"

Neither of them needed to guess who the Iktotchi healer-in-training was talking about. Chibi came flying out of the kitchen – covered in suspicious white dust – and landed on Roloh's shoulder with a happy beep.

The three of Padawans eagerly made their way to the Halls of Healing ten minutes later arriving in time to see Korrah sitting on one of the beds and tugging her tunics back in order. She spotted them, smiled and waved. There were shadows visible under her eyes and her movements seemed to speak of deep exhaustion.

As soon as the healer was finished, Qui-Gon, Roloh and Tahl gathered around as she slid off the bed with Roloh the first to go straight in for a hug.

"Wow, news travels fast. Miss me much?"

She caught sight of Qui-Gon over Roloh's shoulder and smirked. He stiffened with indignation when she stroked her chin and mouthed the word 'scruffy' at him.

Tahl seemed to suddenly suffer a spontaneous coughing fit in an attempt to disguise her laughter. The tall Padawan's face soured and he crossed his arms in a sulk, resolving then and there to shave it all off before he went to bed that night.

"Brat."

Korrah chuckled and broke apart from Roloh's embrace. Immediately noticing her droid on his other shoulder, she started cooing over Chibi's new additions and laughed with joy when it showed off it flight capability. Tahl was the next one to be mauled in a hug.

" _I love it_! This is so cool! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She smoothly pivoted and kicked Qui-Gon squarely in the shins.

"You clumsy rancor! I know it was you who broke him! Defender of the weak, my foot!"

Hopping on one leg for balance, he rubbed his bruised shin shooting an indignant look at her.

"Like the thing needs my help to get into trouble! Bug met foot and nature took its course. By all accounts, it was the will of the Force!"

"It did help me secure a passing grade in my mechanic's class." Interjected Tahl, still suppressing her laughter.

Korrah stuck her tongue out at him and tucked her newly returned droid into the pocket inside her tunics, looking much better than she had a minute ago.

"So, why the big welcoming committee? I mean it's not like I haven't been away on a mission before."

Tahl recovered from her mirth, shrugging casually. "No reason, things have just been slow for a while. No missions with our Masters so we've all been studying and doing research for class every day. It starts to get monotonous."

Qui-Gon huffed and came over, clapping a hand on Korrah's back. "How was Dagobah?"

He didn't miss the sudden wince she made and quickly withdrew his hand. Concerned, he was about to ask, but she interrupted.

"About as well as I expected, but there was still plenty that happened that kept it interesting."

Roloh looked her over with worried appraising eyes. "What's wrong with your back Korrah? Did you get injured?"

Korrah grimaced and looked away. "Nothing. I slipped and hurt my back while training. It wasn't anything too serious and it's already been treated."

Roloh drew back as if accepting her words, but his face remained concerned. Qui-Gon certainly wasn't completely convinced. Something was amiss there with his friend, he could feel it.

"You were injured?"

"It was nothing."

Her tone insinuated that she would not be welcoming any more conversation in this line of questioning, but Qui-Gon wasn't giving up. He gripped her shoulders and made her face him. His blue eyes were unrelenting as they locked with Korrah's hazel ones.

"Korrah, we're your friends. You know you can tell us anything, right?"

The human girl opened her mouth before closing it immediately again. She had a heavy look in her eyes that made the shadows under them even more pronounced, stoking his apprehension over his friend's cagey behavior.

When was the last time she'd slept? Had she been suffering insomnia again?

Then Korrah moved out of his grip and slightly behind the bed curtain, suddenly self-conscious and loosened her tunics. Turning around, she lowered the back of them down until her three friends could see three long, vertical lines of raised, pink flesh marring her skin over her spine. They traveled all the way down her back from the base of her neck, the lower ends hidden under her tunics.

Roloh immediately placed his hands gently on Korrah's back to inspect the injury, his eyes hooded with concentration as he through the Force. Suddenly he sucked in a sharp breath and jerked back, eyes wide.

"But that's…!"

His voice squeaked out and he spun Korrah around to face him.

"What happened, Korrah?!"

Qui-Gon couldn't restrain himself. "What's wrong with the scars?" he demanding from the Iktotchi.

Why was Roloh _scared_ for their friend?

The younger boy looked up, rubbing his hand together. "Whatever made those marks was…deeply infused with the Dark Side energies. It's practically stained into the skin!" He began stammering. "I-I can't heal it or know anything about how to treat things like that yet, I wouldn't- I couldn't dare try! Though I know Master Che does, but…if she hasn't already, then…" he trailed off uncertainly looking at the marks.

Korrah redressed and fastened her bantha leather belt back into place, rubbing her hands over her clothes stiffly and still averting her eyes from all of them.

"It was,…" she rubbed her arms as if cold. She finished in a whisper. "…a Trial of the Spirit."

The three Padawans stood in shock. Tahl quickly placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Korrah seemed to rally her courage and finally looked her older friend in the eyes as she nodded.

"Yeah. Master Che said the scars would heal." She said. "And…I passed, so it alright."

It seemed like a token answer and gave only a small amount of relief, calming the initial panic. Qui-Gon wasn't satisfied with the simple affirmative gesture. He opened his mouth intending to ask more, but Tahl nudged his hand and firmly shook her head, so he swallowed his questions with some difficulty. He couldn't put it to words, but there was something suspicious here he could sense. And he'd definitely be asking about the happenings on her trip later.

Tahl drew Korrah into a hug. "Please, let us know if you need to talk about it. Anytime, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you." She pulled back and gave a good effort to smile.

A few tense seconds passed before Roloh seemed like he was purposefully going to ignore everyone's chaotic emotions and immediately started smiling again, however strained, and trying to direct the somber mood in another direction; lightly recounting everything he'd heard and learned to Korrah since she had been away from the Temple.

"…and now Master Che says I can start treating patients alongside her next week, so if you get hurt during training or a spar come to me! The practice will be good, though as long as it's nothing too serious. I'm still only allowed to tend minor injuries."

Qui-Gon looked around. "I don't see Master Sifo-Dyas anywhere."

Korrah shrugged. "He went to speak with Master Che. Sounded like he'd be a while."

Tahl nodded. "Dinner then?"

Korrah sighed dreamily. "Oh, yes please! I've been surviving on swamp fare for weeks! I'm dying for some real food."

They filed out of the Halls but Qui-Gon stopped just as he exited.

An inaudible noise had paused his steps and he fell behind as he stopped and listened. Confused, he looked down and, withdrawing a small stone from a pocket on the side of his belt, studied it intently. It was a simple rock he'd acquired from his homeworld not too long ago, but it carried a special property: it was Force-sensitive. And it was vibrating a low minor note like that of warning.

He looked up at the sound of Tahl calling his name. She had noticed his absence and backtracked to his position.

"What is it?"

He put his stone away, expression contemplative.

"What do you think happened on Dagobah?"

The Noorian looked back at their friend, smiling wanly and listening to Roloh carrying on as they walked to the cafeteria.

"I don't know. Trials of the Spirit are dangerous, even for older Padawans, but she seems…sane, at least. Just deeply shaken."

She glanced up at him worried. "Is this another one of those feelings of yours?" she asked.

The two fell into step beside each other and they walked down the hall. "I don't know, but there's something weird about those scars. And I feel something in the Force is…moving."

His eyes were fixed on Korrah's back where her scars were.

" _But what?"_ he wondered.

* * *

As fate would have it, two days later the happy little group of reunited Padawans found themselves down one member again when Qui-Gon became trapped in his bed and suffering from a sudden, horrible flu. Having already puked up the contents of his stomach the entire night before, the Jedi Padawan lounged about in his room with the shades down, a bucket, several large bottles of water, and a box of tissues nearby.

Roloh and Korrah came to visit their sick friend in a show of support. The older of the two had her arms full of tissue boxes she'd pilfered from the Halls of Healing with Roloh's aid and was struggling to hold on to them all.

She was in much better spirits now and gave a sunny grin at the taller human who was stretched out across his bed and still clad in his sleep clothes and looked miserable with his lot in life.

"Greetings, pathetic life form! We have come so that I may provide you with presents!" Korrah quickly maneuvered several of the boxes onto a nearby side table by the door before she dropped them and moved over with the rest to Qui-Gon's bedside. "You can never have too many of these when you're sick."

Cloudy, blue eyes zeroed in on her form and all but pinned her to the far wall. His voice was scratchy and his face was the picture of indignant suffering.

"I blame you for this."

Korrah raised an eyebrow. "That's so harsh! How do you plan on proving that accusation anyway?"

He sneezed into the tissue, lobbed it at a waste bin and missed. Too tired to even correct his failure with a frivolous use of the Force, he flopped back into his bed.

"You just came back after spending almost two months on a _swamp_ planet so it _has_ to be you who exposed me to whatever this is."

"Hey, I promised you a souvenir, didn't I?"

The next used tissue was lobbed in the direction of her head, but fell short around her feet.

Korrah laughed quietly, but had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "I'll say that I'm sorry anyway if it makes you feel any better." She muttered and looked away at the floor.

He huffed and immediately regretted it as he dissolved into another coughing fit. Roloh was by his side in an instant with a glass of water. He drank the whole thing with the tablets the Iktotchi provided.

"Is there anything you can do to make this end?" He was not whining…but it was close.

Roloh smiled charmingly. "Well, the medicine Master Che prescribed you will keep the fever and nausea down and I have more good news because Master says that the bug that you've caught usually hits hard at first, but goes away pretty quickly once you start medicating. So don't worry, you should be better by the end of the week or so."

Qui-Gon groaned as Korrah wandered around his room, poking at random nick-knacks he had collected.

"Just stay here and talk to me for a bit. I'm bored out of my mind."

"Okay, what you do want to talk about?"

She immediately regretted her choice of words at his answer.

"What happened on Dagobah?"

Korrah's playful mood deserted her and she winced. Running a hand over her hair she shook her head.

"Please, anything but that. I-I don't want to talk about it yet."

But her maverick friend didn't back down. "You weren't telling us everything when you showed us your back Korrah. Scars are scars, but how in the worlds did you get one imbued with _Dark Side_ energies staining your skin?!"

She glared down at him for that comment. "Sick people should just stay in bed and focus on fixing themselves before trying to fix anything, or any _one_ , else."

Roloh surprised her as he stood in her way when she turned to leave. He was rubbing his hands together vigorously, but staring steadfastly at her with his amber eyes. The pleading look there tore at her resolve.

"I know that what happens during the Trials is a personal matter and you have every right to not tell us, but you've been…restless since you came back, Korrah. Your emotions are all over the place at times and in other you…you _brood_ now! And you keep denying that you do, so I can't do anything about it, but stand on the sidelines hoping it all goes away, but it's not. Whatever hurt you…I can't- I won't stand by anymore. Even if it's something – anything – I just want to know what I can do to help."

Qui-Gon nodded in agreement. "We're your friends. I can tell something's been bothering you."

Korrah stared at the two of them and fiddled with the sleeve of her tunic. Then she sighed.

"Fine." She sat down in a nearby chair. "We arrived at Dagobah and spent the next three weeks living under a hollowed out tree in the swamp."

"Did you puke during hyperspace?" Qui-Gon quipped.

Korrah shot him a sour look. " _No_ …and shut up." She picked up her account again. "Nothing really happened. Master Yoda instructed my physical conditioning hell for the entire time with Master Sifo-Dyas' blessing and that's all I did. Which reminds me, we have to spar once you get over your flu."

Qui-Gon grinned. "I'll look forward to that." He waited for her to start talking again. "How did you get those scars?"

Korrah sighed again and helped herself to one of the unopened bottles of water Qui-Gon had around his bed.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and was led by the Force to a cave a little ways away from camp. I went in and the Force showed me…things. Basically ripped out my soul and stomped on the ashes. But I…passed." She grimaced.

"I got hurt when I was running away, back out of the cave. I…wasn't paying attention to where I was going I just wanted to get…away, out. I tripped on some roots and fell on some hanging branches or sharp rocks and, yeah."

Roloh leaned forward. "Does your back still hurt?"

She waved him off placidly. "No. The scars sometimes ache at night, but it always passes."

They were silent for a while until Qui-Gon started coughing again. "Kriff, that's it?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I didn't notice it at first when I went in, but the place was practically submerged with the Dark Side. Master Yoda and Sifo-Dyas were waiting outside when I finally got out. Getting scratched by a branch could've been enough to leave a metaphorical mark." She fiddled with her sleeve again. "I had my reasons for keeping it to myself. It's not that I don't trust any of you, but it was my burden to bear."

"Well, don't. Friends help each other carry their burdens and they don't keep secrets between from each other, okay?"

Korrah stared at the bed-ridden Qui-Gon. "Okay, I get it. And…thanks."

Roloh smiled and patted her arm. "And congratulations on passing one of your Trials Korrah." He poked at the black thread woven around her Padawan Braid. "I'll be catching up to you soon you know."

She gave a meager half-smile. "I'm just glad it's over."

* * *

Life seemed to slip back into its usual pace for the friends at the Jedi Temple as Qui-Gon's flu symptoms abated, although it seemed as if the universe wasn't quite done with him yet as less than a week later he was once again confined to his bed due to a sinus infection. However, he wasn't the only one forced to deal with physical discomfort.

Roloh greeted his best friend as she enter the Halls of Healing late one afternoon just after the time most Jedi had their dinner as he went around aiding his Master in various tasks.

"Hey Korrah. Is Qui-Gon taking the new medicine? That flu he caught wasn't exactly an easy one and now getting an infection on top of that so soon. I can't help but worry about how he's doing."

Korrah nodded distractedly. "Yeah, he's still suffering away in his bed again complaining up a storm and buried under a mountain of tissues. He was so happy to be back on his feet too."

She gave an oddly strained smile, shuffling awkwardly and glancing around herself.

"Actually, Roloh, I…need to talk with Master Che again. In private, if that's possible."

The Iktotchi found himself immediately concerned. His human friend's emotions were all over the place with acute embarrassment and…an almost resigned sense of dread at the forefront. "She's inspecting a patient right now, but I can help if it's nothing serious." He cast his eye over her. "You don't look injured. Is it your back?"

Korrah shuffled uncomfortably. "No, it's not…ah…look, could you just get Master Che and tell her…I'm…suffering the…biological curse indicative to all human females? Please?"

Roloh tilted his head not understanding, but willing to help his friend. "Uh, sure. Wait here a minute."

He managed to encounter his Jedi Master as she was leaving the side of a Pau'an patient with a broken arm. He followed a step behind her as she strode in Korrah's direction before he could finish relaying what she'd said.

"What can I help you with?"

Korrah blushed and looked away, unable to meet their eyes. "…Master and I were having dinner when I had to check…something in the fresher…because…something felt weird…"

Her voice tapered off into a low self-conscious mumble as she spoke, but Vokara _thankfully_ nodded without further explanation.

"Go see Padawan Gea Anm and she'll provide you with what you need."

Roloh watched his friend heave a huge sigh of relief and make a quick bow before scurrying away. He looked up at the Twi'lek healer. "Master, what was that all about? Was something wrong with Korrah?"

Her blue eyes peered down at him in an unconcerned fashion. "You've gone over it in the texts that I've instructed you to study. Both genders of every species have their distinctive sufferings regarding physical maturity. But enough of that now, go inspect the newest shipment of bandages in the inventory."

It wasn't until after he went to bed that evening that Roloh finally realized what the strange event had been all about. The Iktotchi Padawan went about his chores exhausted the next morning, having been too mortified at his own ignorance to get any sleep that night.

* * *

 **A/N: So as I mentioned above, I will be devoting my focus to my school work, but this will be continued. I should be able to compensate by making posts a little shorter, but I can only hope to keep the quality the same if not better.**

 **Mostly character building and plot set up in this chapter which I hope wasn't too filler-ish. Get hyped for some** _ **action**_ **in the next chapter and something very special!**

 **Thank you all for bearing with the wait and sticking around to read Anomaly. Hope you all enjoy this and are having a wonderful day wherever you are!**

 **Please leave a review if you have any comments or critiques and I'll see you all next time!**


	14. Chapter 13: Mission

**A/N: Aaaaaaand I'm back! Oh, and here's the next chapter! It's time to see some** _ **action**_ **! Or at least, time to see if I'm any good at writing action, as I've never _really_ tried this before, so please let me know how I did. Warning though, there is **_**some**_ **offensive content in this chapter (not too much, no more than a mention, but I'm still putting this here for posterity's sake) so, yeah, be warned and all that.**

 **School is busy! But the muse still speaks to me (usually late at night when my work's** _ **finally**_ **done). I actually had a lot more planned for this chapter, but I'm already pushing to 9,000+ words, so yeah. This is what I've got for y'all. Enjoy, favorite, follow, and review, or whatever! I'd love to hear all your feedback.**

 **Thank you Ducky9002 for editing!**

 **I don't own Star Wars. Korrah and OC's are mine though.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Mission

Individuals crowded the streets, passing by the blocky, close-set buildings colored every shade of gray that lined the sides. It was not a small street, but the surplus of people milling about that morning created a claustrophobic perception to the area. Sifo-Dyas glanced behind himself to make sure his Padawan was still close by.

The two Jedi were not in their traditional tunics and robes at the moment and both of their lightsabers were hidden within their clothes rather than displayed in plain sight. Sifo-Dyas hair was loose and he had donned a leather vest over a simple, earth-toned shirt and trousers while Korrah wore a dark blue tunic and gray leggings. Her Padawan braid was concealed under a charcoal headscarf that covered most of her head, leaving her hair to spill unbraided down her back to her waist in dark brown waves. The most obvious deviation from the norm were the blasters they both openly carried, strapped over their thighs and at their hips; however, considering that everyone else on the street was openly showcasing a variety of weaponry, this detail only made them blend in more.

It wasn't as if Sifo-Dyas expected any violence from this little side trip. He and his Padawan had arrived to the planet of Gridan ahead of schedule in order to pick up something before the beginning or their official mission. But knowing the type of people they would be meeting with shortly, the lack of visible signs marking them as Jedi could mean an easier time getting back to their lodgings without…complications. Blending into the common traffic of people flowing around the street, the pair walked unhurried and unimpeded towards their destination.

"Everything here seems to have a sketchy aura about it. It's kind of suspicious, Master." Korrah commented to him.

Sifo-Dyas gently pulled his Padawan to one side as a group of armored guards moving some crates passed close by. "Gridan was originally discovered and colonized by smugglers. The planet's been a prosperous trading hub for those kinds of circles ever since then."

The young recently-turned-teen's eyes scanned the crowd, stalls and window shops around them, taking in at a glance the bustling interactions of various aliens and humans; some overtly taking part in direct business, and others in more subtle, muted exchanges.

"So it's one of those places that buys and sells anything at the right price?"

Sifo-Dyas kept his eyes ahead, peripherally keeping track of an upcoming alley and the position of the shadows around it.

No trouble. So far at least.

"Yes, but it's not as bad as some places in the galaxy. There are still rules and standards that the populace adhere to."

"Home field advantage?"

The corners of his lips twitched.

"…that's one way of putting it."

Korrah hummed thoughtfully, turning her eyes forward again. "But that was until the war happened, right?"

Feeling slightly pleased at his student's knowledge of the planet's history, he nodded.

"Yes. The Gridan civil war lasted almost ten years between the two groups who called themselves 'The Importers' or 'The Patrol'. The first consisted of people who were for allowing even more illegal goods, such as slaves, pass through here while the opposing side insisted on maintaining the status quo."

Korrah tugged at her headscarf slightly, thinking for a moment, before posing another question as they continued down the street.

"Gridan's only a small planet, but it's still in the Mid-Rim, so wouldn't the Republic presence would still be strong enough to warrant some hesitation before allowing slave trafficking here?"

"That was the original argument of the Patrol." He commented, thinking back to the armored group they had passed only a few moments before.

"Then it's safe to assume that the Importers were too enticed by how much more money they could earn by turning a blind eye?"

Sifo-Dyas shook his head.

"Not necessarily." He replied. "The deeper issue for Gridan is that the smuggling businesses that run this planet are too interconnected. Each one has become very specialized over the years and what affects one invariably affects all of them. The biggest concern, both then and now, is that if one smuggling ring gets too heavily involved in certain illegal activities, their people usually end up dead, taken over or both."

He side-stepped a couple of men arguing in front of a street stand before continuing on. "The line between the smuggling rings is much more blurred here than most, and mainly due to family-connections and marriages happening between each of the ring's members. They each may have enough individual business off-world to claim that they're all still separate, but they've colluded with each other for so long it would only take at most three or four rings to be taken over by an outside force before the rest would be forced to sell out as well...and the whole planet would fall under someone else's rule."

Korrah frowned. "Which is what would inevitably happen if they allowed slave traders to set up shop here. People like the Hutts would jump on new, relatively unimportant territory and crush everyone in no time."

"Yes, that's exactly right."

The girl shot a quick, curious glance towards her teacher. "So, what makes Gridan so important now?"

Sifo-Dyas waved away a saleswoman offering him a piece of fruit, fluidly turning a sharp corner down another just as crowded street with his student close behind.

"Gridan is now a main trading route for over a dozen other planets in nearby systems who are in desperate need of supplies due to widespread famine. With food and medicine shortages, the rulers of those worlds are turning to the smugglers of Gridan to supplement their population's needs. Especially since the usual trading companies are taking advantage of their desperation and increasing their prices."

"But that's just plain extortion!" Korrah looked angry, then pensive for a moment and sighed. "Ah, I get it now. We're going to have to convince the trading companies to be civil during the negotiations, especially now that their choke hold on the nearby systems has been subverted. And the people of Gridan are still smugglers, rather than pure-hearted 'good guys', so they'll be looking at the bottom line. They won't want to lose all the new business. If we're going to complete this mission successfully, we have to convince them it's sufficiently profitable to not only provide the supplies for the foreseeable future at their current rates until the trading companies get their act together and pull back their prices again without injury, right Master?"

Syfo-Dyas' lips twitched again at the girl's sullen thoughts.

"I don't believe it'll be as hard as you're probably thinking it will be." Turning slightly, he smiled down at Korrah. "It might be strange to say, Padawan, but sometimes too much business of the wrong kind can be bad for business overall. Having some 'good guy' stigma, as you call it, to one's name can be ludicrously profitable if handled right. A smuggler's heart might be kept in his purse, but he lives by his reputation."

He was met with a blank face.

"Sounds tricky."

He smothered a laugh. "You'll learn more about it in time."

As they continued to meander through the busy street, they turned another corner and he spotted their destination. He leaned over to the teenager beside him, speaking loud enough for only her to hear. "Batt already arrived ahead of us and will be waiting inside. Remember what I told you before we left."

Korrah nodded dutifully. "No playing in the mornings."

His lips quirked up into a smile a second and his hand twitched as he resisted flicking her Padawan braid that was hidden by the tight headscarf. He quickly smoothed his face back into a neutral expression, expectant. "And…"

He sensed an impression of long-suffering drift across his mind from her though she was carefully keeping it from showing on her face. "And stay close to Batt." She finished.

Sifo-Dyas lightly shook his head. "He may be unscrupulous, but he's trustworthy enough. Even if there are rules here, you must keep the type of people that are around you in mind. Should anything happen or if we get separated he'll keep you safe."

" _Because something can always happen."_ He thought and rapped on the door. Korrah crossed her arms as they stood back to wait.

"I haven't known him for as long as you have, Master, so I can't help it if I find him aggravating."

Glancing back, the Jedi Master caught her eyes for a moment before watching the door in front of them.

"I will not deny he has his bad days, but I've been able to trust him with my life on many occasions over the years. He has more than earned some patience regarding his personality in return."

"Why? Do you know his weakness or something?"

Sifo-Dyas hummed and scratched his beard. "More like circumstances surrounding our initial acquaintance played in my favor and appealed to his drive for danger, as is common to all Devaronian males in the Galaxy. Regardless, as Jedi we cannot repay all the aid he has given us – and the galaxy over the years – by being careless in front of less reputable company. Be careful and stay close to him."

Korrah uncrossed her arms but her face remained deadpan.

"I promise to be civil and not inflict physical harm."

He smothered his amusement at her remark as the door was opened by a willowy green Twi'lek. She looked over each of them once, smiled, and motioned them inside with a tilt of her head. Her outfit was as revealing as it was flattering, but Sifo-Dyas was immediately picking out where she would have concealed weapons. He'd be quizzing his Padawan over the details after their business here was concluded.

The door was closed behind them, casting the entry into muted shadows and they were led into the building by the Twi'lek. She sashayed forward, ignoring the side rooms in favor of a reinforced door in the back and pressed a few buttons on a wall mounted com before an affirmative beep came back. The gears turned within the door and she held it open, courteously motioning them inside. She winked her large green eyes at Sifo-Dyas as he passed and the door was shut with solid clang and a twist of thick gears as soon as Korrah passed through.

The Jedi Master could feel Korrah's control over her emotions was exemplary as usual, but he could still detect the eager curiosity she was holding back through their bond in the Force.

" _Already at thirteen years old."_ he thought before he shook it off. Now was not the time or place for wistfulness despite his reasons for coming here. And there was still the mission they'd been assigned starting in a few days.

The room they had entered had a round table placed in the middle with four occupants on the stools surrounding it; a Weequay, a Dresselian, another Twi'lek – this one a younger, tan male – and Batt. They were all holding hands of sabbac cards with a pile of credits between them. Batt immediately got up and greeted his human friend by alias.

"Zaif! Still alive are ya! You're just in time." The Devaronian smiled as he caught sight of his Padawan, his sharp teeth on full display as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "Perfect! You brought Lucky! Come on over, my sweet charm. Uncle Batt's got a game to win."

Korrah's eyebrow twitched at Batt's persistent nickname for her and leaned away from the Devaronian as he dragged her over to sit at the table. The rough-looking Weequay peered at her from his seat at the table.

"That's your so-called 'lucky charm'? Bit young, but pretty enough."

Sifo-Dyas had caught him peeking at Batt's abandoned cards out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. The Twi'lek woman motioned him to continue following her. He made eye contact with Korrah who nodded at his silent direction to stay put. He followed the beautiful alien female through another door farther back and all sound ceased when shut it behind him.

Korrah watched him go. She heaved a sigh and rolled up her sleeves as rested her head on top of her hands, settling herself in to wait until her Master had finished his business. She watched quietly as the dealer called the players to place their bets and started handing out cards. Batt pushed his whole hand to the dealer.

"Five cards."

" _He's going to win."_ She thought, simply _knowing_ what the next cards dealt would be as the Force flexed around her. She silently cursed it. _"It's all the Force's fault that I'm now stuck with Batt hounding me for more 'good luck'! I should've kept my mouth shut that day!"_

Even though she'd been somewhat excited this morning about exploring a smuggler's planet on this excursion, she still felt a strong sense of uneasiness at being left alone in a room full of strangers – excluding Batt – but it was tucked behind a bored expression. _"Hopefully none of them accuse me of cheating. I'm not even doing anything and they can clearly see nothing up my sleeves. The dealer really should have shuffled the deck one more time."_

The Weequay had scoffed at Batt's careless attitude and dealt five cards his way. The Devaronian took one look at his new hand and smirked, pushing his credits forward.

"All in."

The tan-skinned Twi'lek grimaced, unsure for a moment, and folded while Dresselian and the Weequay rolled their eyes and laid out their cards, resulting in the Dresselian cursing. Batt never lost his triumphant grin. He slapped his cards on the table and leaned back.

"Idiot's Array!"

The other three stared at his hand in shock before the Weequay shot up, knocking over his stool as he yell outraged and Batt collected his winnings.

" _Bantha_ _Chssk_!"

"From five new cards? How the hells…" The Twi'lek glanced over at Korrah. "Who is she again?"

Korrah gritted her teeth as Batt once again took hold of Korrah's far shoulder and pulled her into his side possessively.

"I saw Lucky first, so she's mine. Hands off see? New game?"

The Weequay curled his lip in frustration.

"I ain't playing with the little chit at the table. Don't know how she cheated, but she did."

" _Yeah, because you were_ _ **so**_ _sure you had stacked the deck properly in order to win, weren't you?"_

Korrah shrugged herself out from under Batt's arm. Time to establish her own presence to these people. "That's fine. I got a card game of my own I'd like to play if anyone's interested."

She received and ugly sneer from her detractor. "Like hells I'm gonna to be losing any more money to Batt's ilk. I ain't gonna be fooled by a pretty face, little girl."

"No money involved. Just offensive language."

Batt tilted his head, curious. "What's this you say?"

The female Twi'lek walked back into the room and joined them, sitting next to Korrah and observing her with a curious look on her face. The human girl pulled out two stacks of cards – one black, one white – and placed them on the table. "I call it 'Cards Against the Galaxy'. And I need some people to test it out." She couldn't help a smile. "Here are the rules: First and foremost, be as offensive and insulting as possible…"

* * *

"…and I'm sure that the price I'm asking will just about cover it all." Said the dark-skinned Twi'lek. He wore an eye-patch over his right eye and the vibro-whip hanging at his side kept catching Sifo-Dyas' gaze. The Jedi idly wondered where the other male had found such a thing as he pulled forth a case from one of the shelves that spanned the entire back wall. He placed it on an empty table in front of Sifo-Dyas. "I'm sure you'll be wanting to inspect the merchandise. Jar'tziveri doesn't play games with his paying costumers after all."

Sifo-Dyas accepted the small case and opened it. Inside was a belt of dark leather with a dozen crystals of light blue, none bigger than a thumbnail, embedded in it along its entire length.

He stopped his eyes from widening when he realized that the leather itself was impossibly rare, even on the black market. It was well-tanned hide taken from the long extinct species of Zillo Beast that were once native to Malastare. Sifo-Dyas kept any of his feelings from this surprise show and he wondered where the Twi'lek in front of him had gotten such a thing or if he even knew this little fact about his product. He'd be parting with it ghastly underpriced if he did.

" _The most likely possibility is that he got it from someone who didn't know either and he is still hiking up the price based on what he paid for it, which still makes the amount he's asking severely lower than its true worth. I'll need to ask Batt what he knows about how long Jart's been on this planet. He certainly didn't get this from someone on Gridan. There are too many specialists. The leather would have been properly appraised and advertised as such."_

The Jedi moved on from his thoughts to carefully inspect each of the crystals with a magnifier provided by the Twi'lek, looking for cracks or flaws. Reaching out subtly with the Force, he verified every one of them was indeed a healing crystal shard. From the way they chimed when brushed with the Force, he guessed they had all once been part of the same larger crystal before being crafted into the belt.

Sifo-Dyas finished his inspection more than satisfied. It was a rare item. He'd owe Batt more than a few drinks for finding this. He placed the belt back in the case and closed it, retrieving a bag containing a set amount of credits from his belt pouch.

Jart took it without bothering to count it. "A pleasure doing business with you sir."

The female Twi'lek who had answered the front door came in after he spoke a few words over his com. She took the bag of credits before exchanging a myriad of hand signs at him, relaying something. Sifo-Dyas watched the exchange carefully as Jart's non-existent eyebrows shot up and the Twi'lek woman smiled at him like she was laughing. Jart smirked at Sifo-Dyas after she left the room.

"Don't mind Feen. One of the Hutt bastards took her tongue as a child so she don't speak much nowadays." He cast a sly glance at him. "She seems to have taken a liking to your young girl. Even told me to offer you something extra."

Sifo-Dyas shouldered the case and fastened the straps securely. "I appreciate the generosity, but you'll have to forgive me for not trusting everything I'm offered for free."

"It could be worth your while." He shrugged. "No feelings would be hurt over this." He unlocked a cabinet and pulled out a cloak which he offered to Sifo-Dyas. "Here. It's some fine fabric though I haven't got it identified yet."

Running his hands over the light fabric, Sifo-Dyas could tell was sturdier than it appeared and would keep warm or cool depending on the weather.

" _Pasmin weave_." He thought. That was two surprise finds in one day. The people of that Republican planet were renowned for their fascinating skill at their craft.

"Came across it last night. Something happened up at the Mothership and the previous owner of that got shot down while running. I happened to be close enough to snag the cloak and some credits before the Patrol boys got to the corpse." The Twi'lek said. "There's been hearsay about some of the galactic trading companies over the past week, that they've been hiring people to try and keep trade from being redirected from them through here, but nothing more than rumors."

He casually leaned against the shelves and scratched a dark lekku. "That one had been working for them, though. Found a few recorded calls on a spare com he was carrying. He wasn't a bounty hunter or even a reputable businessmen like myself, just a pirate. Probably skipped off from his Captain and crew for a few quick credits, for all the good it did him."

"Do you still have the com?"

The male Twi'lek reached back into the cabinet and handed him the com. It was damaged, but not irreparably. The information would still be accessible.

Carefully measuring out several more credits, he placed them on the table and they disappeared into Jart's pockets.

"You're better for business than Batt advertised. A true pleasure, sir."

There was a familiarity in the way Jart handled information that struck a chord with Sifo-Dyas. _"He's definitely a spy or an information broker,"_ Sifo-Dyas realized as Jart locked the cabinet. _"_ _ **Not**_ _a smuggler or trader, I'm sure of it. That's why the belt wasn't properly apprised and underpriced. And what the hells did Batt say about me that makes him so comfortable handing over a Pasmin cloak? Though, if I had to guess, I bet he killed the pirate himself and is just passing off the evidence._

Another realization dawned upon him. " _He must be from one of the systems suffering the famine. Probably tasked by his employers with keeping alive interests in trade coming through here rather than the trading companies."_

A touch of dread came over the Jedi as he thought of the upcoming negotiations in two days. _"But that can only mean that the situation is worse than the Council originally thought if the affected systems are taking things to this level of subterfuge. And if what he said is true, we may have to expect violence before this mission is over."_

The two men exited through the door and were greeted by the sound of uproarious laughter within the other room. Sifo-Dyas was pulled out of his thoughts as he immediately identified Korrah's voice over the others before she came into view.

"Human Privilege!?" Korrah roared in outrage as the others threw back their head and slapped the table with laughter.

"Who played _that_ card?! Name and shame the bastard!"

Batt regained his ability to speak first, if barely.

"J-just read it, Eeto!"

The Twi'lek, was wiping tears from his eyes as he struggled to read out the cards.

"O-okay, 'The word in Desolation Alley prison on Oovo IV is that you can trade 100 deathsticks for **_**.'…Ah, we have, 'Actually getting shot, for real this time?'…why is that written as a question, uh…'Soap.'…oh man, that's just…ahem, alright, 'Date Rape by Candlelight' and 'Human Privilege'."

Korrah jabbed an accusatory finger at the Weequay who was almost falling over backwards in his chair he was laughing so hard.

"That last one's got to be Bex'ar's _kriffin'_ card! Racist _sleemo_!"

The Dresselian lifted his face off of the table with a heave of air. "And I thought I had it made with 'Soap'! Just give him the point, Eeto, he deserves it."

"He deserves _nothing_!"

"Ha! Little chit can't handle not gettin' her privilege?"

"How 'bout you ' _actually getting shot for real_ '! Think you could handle _that_?!"

Sifo-Dyas was initially taken aback at Korrah's loss of composure and he swiftly reached out over their bond, intending to bring her back under control. However, he stopped up short when he found her emotions were still perfectly regulated – with some stronger impressions of annoyance, excitement, and competitiveness swimming under her mental shields, but it was tempered with caution.

She was just playing along with…whatever was going on. He caught Batt's eye and the Devaronian shot him a quick look that said she'd been handling herself just fine in his absence.

Korrah looked up at his invisible call through the Force and waited for him to say something. With their business here concluded he simply called his Padawan by alias to his side. "Lucci, we're going now."

Jart looked over the table with interest lighting up his only eye. "What exactly is going on?"

Korrah began gathering up the cards from the table as the four smugglers fought to get their mirth under control.

"Bex'ar being a racist, Toyan's been voted 'Most Likely to Commit Genocide' and Eeto has revealed a disturbing fascination with various animal genitalia." She stood up as she stowed her cards back in her belt pouch and walked up to her Master's side. "But besides all that, Batt's still annoying," She muttered petulantly while casting a half-smile at Feen. "And _she_ can't play anymore because she's too good at this game."

Feen just smiled back and actually gave her a hug before dancing off to open the door for them. She winked one last time at Sifo-Dyas and waved good-bye to Korrah as they exited onto the street again. After they were a good distance away, Sifo-Dyas started questioning Korrah.

"What was it you were doing when I returned?"

A nervous glance towards him and thread of tension crept into his Padawan's posture.

"Oh, it was a, uh, card game I made up. It's…mostly driven by the personalities of the people playing."

Sifo-Dyas raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

He took in the embarrassed blush that colored her face and listened to her stammered explanation of the card game, stuck somewhere between amusement and mute horror by the time she finished.

"Where did you come up with an idea like that?" He said shaking his head.

She averted her eyes, expression guilty. "From…Batt. Indirectly, I mean. He may be annoying, but Batt's still a friend of yours, Master. So, in the past I tried…writing down things I wanted to say whenever I got annoyed rather than saying them and somehow it gave me the idea to write down things that would insult other people, to everyone, and…it just kind of spawned from there all on its own."

The Jedi Master blew some of his hair out of his eyes. "And you saw fit to bring such a game with you while we are on a mission?"

"I was keeping in mind the type of people I'd be surrounded by, Master." She answered wide eyed and innocent.

Sifo-Dyas couldn't stop his laughter this time as it rumbled up from within his chest. He pulled a hand over his face.

"Just please tell me you haven't been playing this with other Padawans around the Temple. I don't want outraged Masters hunting me down about this."

Korrah shook her head, paused, and then shrugged.

"Only with Qui-Gon and Roloh. They even helped me come up with a lot of the white cards."

He huffed ruefully, already imagining the gauntlet he'd have to run in order to avoid certain people once they returned to the Temple.

"So, I can expect to have a very long and stressful talk with Dooku _and_ Master Che sometime in the future."

His Padawan at least had the decency to look contrite at his tone.

"I can't help but notice you haven't mentioned including Padawan Tahl in your card game, though?"

Korrah blinked. "Huh? Oh, no, she came across us in the middle of a round one time and declared Qui-Gon and I uncouth in under a minute once she realized what we were doing." Korrah answered. "She then spent the rest of the afternoon nagging us over what she called 'corrupting Roloh'."

Sifo-Dyas just shook his head and slapped the back of her covered head.

Somewhat fondly.

* * *

A few days later, Sifo-Dyas awoke early as was his habit. Muted sunlight was through narrow tinted windows of his room and illuminated the bare and Spartan furnishing that had been provided to the Jedi.

The large building complex that they were staying in was called The Mothership Hub by the inhabitants of Gridan due to it having been built out of a collective of ships dating back to around the planet's discovery. The construction had since been rebuilt and added upon so much over the millennia that it only resembled a ship in various places, but the interior still held a much stronger resemblance. Sifo-Dyas and Korrah had received one of the larger quarters in a newer section of the Hub.

He did not check on Korrah who was in a room attached to his, as he already felt that she was awake and in deep meditation. A sense of pride for his student coupled with his own nostalgia of the past three years came over him and he automatically moved to dress himself.

" _I wonder how early she woke up just so she could get this ritual performed and done with. And with negotiations starting today, she probably couldn't sleep nearly at all last night."_ He thought. _"Of course, that's not the only reason."_

Jedi did not celebrated their Namedays in the same manner as those who were not part of their Order, but the one exception they made was the day a Padawan turned thirteen. Gifts were not uncommon, but they were minimal and retained to those who were close to the youngling that had achieved this mark in their apprenticeship.

It was the one instance that Jedi Masters would go out of their way and to great lengths to acquire a special gift for their Padawan.

Having Batt search the markets for healing crystals had yielded better results than Sifo-Dyas had expected and the Devaronian had been only too willing to do it once he had explained it was for Korrah.

The Pasmin cloak he'd received in addition was something Sifo-Dyas was still thinking over what to do with. He was half-considering either keeping it or having re-cut to fit his student. However, it was tradition for him to only give one gift for the ritual.

He sensed Korrah surfacing from her meditation and sat down waiting for her to join him. She was smiling with excitement when she entered, completely ready and presentable in her traditional Jedi tunics. She took a seat in front of him and crossed her legs.

Sifo-Dyas had the two of them keep that position for a few minutes, just sitting together in silence. Her eagerness made her hazel eyes bright and try as he might he couldn't keep from smiling back.

"You have completed your meditation for this ritual?" He finally asked.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly, always astounding him with her control.

"Yes, Master."

He wasted no more time in opening the case and presenting the belt to her. A strong emotion was overflowing his sensibilities. It felt almost paternal to him, though Sifo-Dyas had never thought of, much less considered fatherhood before. Watching Korrah, he reflected on the three years since he'd taken her as a Padawan, comparing her now to as she had been then.

He compared himself too. There was an attachment he held for her. Sometimes, when he dared to acknowledge its existence he lamented his shortcoming, this one chink in his devotion to the Code, but he couldn't deny it and released a wave of guilt into the Force. Regardless of his conflicted feelings on the subject, he was grateful for the Force in tying his path with that of the younger girl. Surely it wasn't for nothing that he was faced with this?

…yet what would the Council say?

"The crystals…sing?"

He smiled and tapped one. "These are healing crystals, Korrah. When accessed through the Force, they can aid in rejuvenating your mind and relieving pain from a wound. It is not an instant cure-all, but it will serve you well when you are fatigued or in danger."

She placed the belt to one side and bowed low to him from the waist. Her happiness was coloring the Force, making her presence sparkle in his mind.

"Thank you Master."

"You're welcome, Padawan." He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked back up at him. He stayed in his position for a moment longer, then stood up. "We have our mission before us. I will wait a little longer if you wish to don your present now and then we will be expected to join the delegates for breakfast."

Korrah quickly retreated back to her room. He stood by the doorway, lazily practicing a breathing exercise from his own Padawan days and felt the Force humming with satisfaction around him. The light, paternal feeling within his chest didn't diminish either.

* * *

Korrah breathed in deeply through her nose to disguise a yawn.

" _And here I thought things were going well. Everyone was able to agree within the first five minutes that trade was going to happen, but now everyone's self-interests keep things stagnant? It's already been five hours!"_

Any excitement she'd felt that morning when Master Sifo-Dyas had warned her of the possibility that there would be violence disrupting the negotiations was already gone. So far, nothing had happened.

She internally battled the disappointment. It wouldn't do well to jinx it. Honestly, there was an appalling lack of any stark difference between this mission and all the others she'd gone with Master Sifo-Dyas that the Jedi Council had assigned. At least during those she'd been _doing_ something even if it was as simple as helping to distribute emergency supplies to a planet. This was just an overabundance of standing around watching other people talking.

She could already see without her visions that her future upon Knighthood would _not_ be as a Jedi diplomat. She didn't have the patience for it.

Since the heavy involvement of smugglers fell under Sifo-Dyas' specialization as a Jedi Master, he was doing all of the negotiating while Korrah was…observing. And trying not to yawn.

" _At least the trip to the 'smuggler gift shop' was cool, but that was two days ago. Now it's just tedious negotiations that wouldn't be so boring if only I could somehow be actively involved."_ Korrah griped. That last part was starting to grate on her.

She was only a thirteen year old Jedi Padawan. What would she know of intergalactic trade procedures?

Korrah breathed again, slow and deep. She reconciled her wandering thoughts.

" _Well, I'd still count this as still leagues above any of the other missions I've been on in some ways though, since I'm actually able to see some of the Galaxy's workings in person. This actually has some element of risk to it, for all the planets that will suffer if they don't get supplies soon."_ She mused. _"My other missions were all pretty standard and 'safe'. None have even been outside the Core, now that I think about it."_

An errant thought crossed Korrah's mind and she breathed deeply again, now annoyed. _"But I can only suppose sending the possible 'Chosen One' somewhere too dangerous just wasn't in the Council's agenda. Or would that just be presumptuous of me?"_

She went back to passively gazing about the meeting hall while standing next to her Master, trying to appear as a collected Jedi and attentive while Sifo-Dyas was exchanging words with several other older men.

Planetary leaders had arrived in time for breakfast and were mingling among the smugglers and trading representatives. She could even spot a Neimoidian among the guests. Korrah hated how useless she was. She understood her role as the observing learner, but she couldn't completely lock away her desire to _do_ something to help.

Sifo-Dyas and her presence at the negotiations were supposed to offer non-biased advice and crowd control – _if_ needed, and the Council had been very clear on the 'if' part. And now that the excitement had worn off, and she almost wished something would go wrong and speed things up a bit.

Almost. It _had_ _only_ been five and half hours, after all. She wasn't _that_ bored…yet.

Another one of the trading representatives had joined them, introducing himself as Lord Darrajon.

" _One of the planetary leaders. Not a smuggler."_

Korrah didn't even bother listening to him as he seemed to have only be interested in bragging about his new yacht, which apparently he'd commissioned from some famous starship designer.

To Korrah's mind, the way he spoke of it made her think that the connection it gave him to the designer was likely worth more than the yacht itself.

" _Damn politics."_

She scanned the sparse crowd as a male Bith dressed in expensive clothes walked over. Darrajon motioned him to join them and made introductions.

"Ah, here he is. Gentlemen, I present Rugess Nome, the acclaimed starship designer."

Korrah bowed on reflex as her Master greeted him with the other men.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The Bith had a low tenor voice that was clipped and articulate. Korrah thought it was kind of weird to watch his mouth move as he spoke Basic.

"Thank you, I take great pride in my work. I find that it is through such passion that the greatest achievements are reached, though Lord Darrajon burdens me with his exaggerated praises."

The rotund man dipped his head in artificial modestly. "After you produced such masterful artistry on the _Ajonas_ _Ray,_ my friend, I cannot help myself."

Nome nodded in acceptance. "Yes. It was the most enjoyable labor I've had commissioned of me as of yet. My next work will be hard pressed to live up to the challenge of your ship."

"Have you more work ahead of you?" asked one of the planetary leaders present.

"I'm already in the progress of finishing the schematics for my next commission."

Discussion over ships types and designs flew over Korrah's head for a few minutes until she the Bith's large black eyes turned towards her and she felt a momentary discomfort at the attention, but she quickly pushed it away. He spoke to Sifo-Dyas first.

"I must confess, Master Jedi that I didn't expect to find one of your Order amidst the attendees."

Korrah's Master made a courteous gesture with his hand. "The well-being of Republican citizens is important to Jedi Order. Both we and the Senate are hopeful that negotiations can be settled quickly and aid sent to the suffering planets as soon as possible."

"Indeed. Then I wish you the best in your endeavors. Stars know how much the galaxy is in need of such good intentions in these times."

His head tilted slightly, turning back to Korrah.

"Is this your daughter, Master Jedi?"

A touch of emotion fluttered around her Master's Force presence, but flitted away before Korrah could try and identify it.

"This is my Padawan, my student, Korrah Hyymn."

Korrah bowed slightly, keeping her expression the picture of calm.

Rugess seemed to draw back as if apologetic. "Ah, forgive me for the mistake. I have never had such close interactions with Jedi before. I confess I had always assumed there would be some familial relations between you."

Maybe it was her imagination, but Korrah thought her Master was becoming uncomfortable with what Rugess' was saying. "There is no offense. I can admit there are many who do not know very much of the complicated workings of our Order." Sifo-Dyas assured.

Rugess inspected her for a few seconds. She refrained from looking away this time.

"Such admirable composure for one so young." He commented lowly. "You must be an attentive and dedicated student, Jedi Padawan."

Korrah dipped her head again. "I have much to learn." She replied simply.

Nothing indicated as such on his alien face, but she got the impression that Rugess was smiling, as if idly amused over something.

A smuggling Captain named Sonso took over the conversation from there and Korrah relaxed. Out of all the people gathered, the grizzled smuggler was someone she instinctively felt at ease around. She paid attention to the flow of the conversation, but she continued to feel as though Rugess was looking over in her direction, accompanied by an unpleasant chill like a cold draft. His bulbous, unblinking black eyes made it hard to determine the truth of her suspicions, however.

Something was tickling at the back of her mind, like an itch she couldn't reach. But for the life of her she couldn't coax it to the surface. She was missing something important in this moment. What was it? A memory?

Korrah's attention was suddenly diverted to her blinking com. Ignored by everyone else, she unclipped it and listed to the binary chatter coming from it. Her eyes widened a fraction before reaching across her Force bond with Sifo-Dyas.

" _Master, Chibi just intercepted a spy droid in the ventilation shafts."_

" _A spy droid?"_

More beeping followed until Korrah let slip a mental curse. _"Kriff! He said its carrying thermal detonators! And there are more droids coming in the vents!"_

The Jedi Master gave no outward appearance of having heard her, but his Force signature flickered around, scanning the room with the Force.

 _"Stay focused. Don't give away anything just yet and be ready."_

She kept her awareness stretched as far as she could make it go for almost a minute before things started picking up fast. Sifo-Dyas must have given some sort of forewarning to Sonso because Korrah didn't even see the grizzled man move to draw his weapon before he fired off a shot at the first droid to fly out of the ventilation shafts, hitting it square.

The grenade within the droid went off, the force of the blast knocking down those underneath it to the floor, but fortunately it had still been close enough to the ceiling to not cause anyone damage.

At the sound of the first blaster bolt, a myriad of blasters and other weapons immediately sprang to the hand of every smuggler and security officer in the room. Everyone else ran for cover as red plasma bolts rained upwards at the mechanical intruders that tried to enter the room through the vents.

" _I guess that's one of the advantages of polite and armed company."_ Korrah thought in dry amusement reaching for her lightsaber. _"Anyone tries to attack gets immediately hit by karma."_

Chibi's binary chirping started insistently emitting from her com. He sounded very excited and it only took Korrah two seconds to realize what he was saying. She hissed into the com.

"Yes! Fine! Just do it!"

The ventilation suddenly closed tight with a heavy scraping of metal, some screeching loudly from years of disuse. In that second, all the droids activated their explosives detonated inside the shafts, rocking the ceiling and explosions sounded along from the nearby halls. Everyone took crouched and covered their heads as they were showered with various metallic debris and dust.

Korrah coughed and shook her head to keep anything from getting into her eyes. She found the kneeling form of Sifo-Dyas nearby and ran over.

"Master, Chibi –*cough*– discovered the control panels that used to run this part of the ship this building's made from and sliced his way in. There wasn't enough power in the circuits to purge the vents, but he's managed to seal off the sections of ventilation that have been infiltrated." She listened as more binary came over her com and grimaced. "He says the Emergency Response Systems of the Hub have been compromised."

A string of words in some language she didn't understand came from a nearby Sonso, who was now twirling two pistols around his hands with impressive dexterity.

Korrah assumed he was cursing.

"These are Importer tactics!" he growled. "There must be some of the bantha-chssk eating _sleemos_ still slithering about. I'd wager they just couldn't pass up an opportunity to crash these talks and reignite the stupid war!"

Sifo-Dyas turned to address Sonso. "I believe it would be prudent for everyone to leave the premises until this is dealt with."

Sonso turned to a nearby man. "Grodet! The hanger's where they'll be expecting us to go, but there's still places and secret routes in this Hub no one's found. We'll take them and flank the bastards and get to the ships."

His man reported back in a husky drawl. "Everyone here's armed, Captain. Lead on."

The rotund figure of Darrajon gestured obligingly, though he looked visibly shaken and completely out of his depth. "I would be most willing to offer passage on the _Ajonas_ _Ray_ to the regulation station above Gridan's atmosphere, my lords. I can assure you that she's a fast craft."

Sonso just grunted and nodded in acceptance. The men exited the hall without further discussion.

Sifo-Dyas stayed back and spoke to Korrah next. "I need you to find out where the intruders are coming from and relay the information back to me." He paused, considering something. "If you encounter any hostiles that you can deal with on your own, then do so, but stay mindful of your surroundings, do you understand?"

Korrah nodded at her Master's instructions when her comlink chirped. Chibi was already reporting in.

"Master, there are several unknown individual in the next building over." She paused as her droid added something in binary. "They have rockets."

The older Jedi grimaced. "Then I must follow after Sonso and the other who are headed for the hangers. Go and identify the numbers and locations of the intruders and com me as soon as you can."

"Yes Master."

He nodded once more before sprinting off the hallway taken by the recently departed guests.

Korrah scanned the room around her before selecting an exit and ran down the empty hallway. A sudden tremor rippled by Korrah, calling her attention to her left. Without thought, she turned and followed it, leaping easily down a flight of stairs as she went. Adrenaline started coursing through her blood, making her heart thump hard inside her chest and she quelled her excitement at the situation's newest developments.

" _Well. Be careful what you ask for, cause you just my get it."_ she thought. _"Even though a Jedi's not supposed to crave adventure."_

Her personal droid dropped down from the ceiling and flew up next to her with a series of happy beeps. She grabbed it smoothly out of mid-air and tucked it away in her tunics.

" _Danger, excitement and water-balloon fights,"_ she reminisced. _"Oh no, us Jedi are content with sitting on the front porch with a glass of iced tea as our only friend, or chewing stick after stick of gum until you're old enough to get a driver's license…this has got to be the weirdest time to start missing things like that."_

The cavernous room she now found herself in looked more like a junkyard that a building with ship parts stacked over and on top of each other. There was activity ahead of her, so calling the Force, she jumped up over twenty feet in the air, landing on one of the smaller, debilitated ships and crawled forward. Hidden from view on top of a wing, she peered over the edge.

There were three men in non-descriptive smuggler's clothes and seven armed droids. They had blasted open the tall floor to ceiling windows that provided a view of one of the few green gardens contained within the Hub's structures.

It also had a clear view of the hanger and the ships coming and going out of it.

Looking about the rest of the room Korrah saw the one thing she dearly wished wouldn't: Hostages.

They didn't look like smugglers, Korrah assumed they'd probably been planetary representatives who'd fled during the initial chaos and had been caught unarmed, cornered and unable to fight back against the attackers.

" _Well, this is sticky."_ She thought and quickly considered her options. _"Have to get the hostages out of the lines of fire first. Then, take droids out first and men second. How do I separate them from the defenseless people?"_

Her eyes caught on the men setting up tripod with a rocket on it. She tapped the wing that she was crouched upon, hanging overhead of the people below. An idea came to her. _"Maybe…"_

The rocket lit up ready to launch and Korrah saw her chance. Reaching for the Force, she spun the rocket around on the tripod and it flew upwards towards her. Korrah jumped before it made impact and an ear-popping explosion rang out resulting with the wing she'd just been on snapping away from the hull it had been attached to and falling.

Debris showered over the droids that had been hounding the hostages scattered and they jumped out of the way as the long piece of metal struck the floor with a crunch and tilted over, landing propped against the wall; conveniently shielding the people underneath it.

Korrah flipped through the air and drew her lightsaber. It ignited with a snap- _hiss_ and a blazed of yellow plasma. Two droids were cut down before she landed and immediately pulled into a protective Soresu sphere. The droids focused on her form and shot started flying towards her, but fortunately her deflection was good and soon only one droid remained. With another exercise of the Force, she pulled the blaster from its metal hands and leapt forwards, slicing its head neatly off with a flick of her wrist.

" _That only leaves these three."_

She adjusted her grip on her lightsaber and faced the men, stance defensive once again.

One of them cursed. "It's a _Jedi_!"

"It's just a girl!" Another one countered drawing a vibro-knife. "Get the rockets ready, sleemo!"

His companion reached for a rocket as he charged her. Korrah merely pushed a piece of scrap that was on the floor forward with the Force, making him slip and struck him hard in the temple with the butt of her lightsaber. He went down like a puppet with its strings cut. The second man had pulled two blasters. Korrah quickly deflected, trying not to accidentally hit one of the rockets. An opening appeared and she took it, spinning off to the side and pushing a wave of the Force at the man. The strength of it launched him backwards into his friend manning the tripod. They collided and went tumbling over the edge of the broken windows with yells of surprise as the rocket activated and they all went spiraling up and away in a dizzying, uncontrolled launch.

With one last glance around confirmed no more threats, Korrah deactivated her lightsaber and ran to where the hostages had been watching from behind the impromptu barrier.

"Is anyone injured?" she called.

A Muun stooped low and came out from under the shelter of the broken ship wing.

"Everyone here is unharmed, but where do we go?"

She cast about and pointed to a nearby exit.

"Make for the East side of the Hub! There's people still waiting for stragglers there. You should take the weapons from the droids to defend yourselves in case of-"

Warning screamed across the Force, and a distant 'boom', ignited Korrah's instincts and she froze in her speech, whipping around and looking up behind herself.

Through the tall broken windows, the sight of a yacht, belching smoke and fire from one of its engines mere miles away in the sky immediately filled her vision.

And it was falling on a collision course headed straight towards them!

* * *

 **A/N: Mwahahahahaha!**

… **See you all in three to four _weeks_! ^_^'**

 **(Props to anyone who spotted the 'guest appearances')**

 **Thank you all and please leave a review! I always love to hear back from y'all! Later!  
**


	15. Chapter 14: Stirrings

**A/N: Welcome back! I know, it's been a while. Now we have the aftermath of the last chapter to see.**

 **And I just realized that this fanfiction officially turned ONE year old as of Tuesday, Oct. 17th! (My, how time flies by and we've reached** _ **100 reviews!**_ **) So, many thanks for all of the support and feedback I've gotten from everyone and to those who have stuck by and given this story a chance from the beginning. This has been an amazing experience and I hope it's been so for you all as well.**

 **Thank you to Ducky9002 for editing once again.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Stirrings

Korrah reacted without thinking. She mindlessly called the Force around her, drawing it in with nothing by instinctive intent as she threw up her hands and _pushed_! Staggering under all the energy she could feel in the world around her, she implored it to move towards slowing or possibly stopping the ship from crashing on top of everyone!

" _There is no spoon…"_

It felt like she was trying to direct a tsunami! Her teeth hurt as Korrah grit her jaw harder and pushed even more of the Force towards the falling ship.

"… _free your mind…"_

 _Focus!_

Korrah felt the ship's speed decrease and the actual weight of the structure seemed to close in around her consciousness, crushing her! But she maintained her concentration as if possessed. The yacht swerved away from the building and touched down with a tremor passing through the ground as the ship landed safely on the green with a horrible groaning of metal, but with the amount of Force engulfing it, the spacecraft's buffered landing resulted in the damage being unrealistically minimal for having just free-fallen from miles out of the sky.

The intangible warning passed away from the Force and Korrah eased up and released her grip on the energy around her.

She sagged forward, collapsing to her hands and knees as dizziness overtook her and she tried to deepen her breathing.

 _Air! She needed more air…oxygen!_

Her chest felt like it was gripped in a vice and she choked on bile as it tried to force its way up her throat. Her back spasmed painfully. Tears were blurring her vision and she could feel them drip onto her hand. There were blurry, red spots on the ground in her field of vision too. When she went to wipe at her face her fingers came away sticky. She had a nosebleed.

Suddenly, she remembered her Master's gift from that morning. Mentally pulling at the crystals in her belt through the Force, she almost sighed in relief as immediately, a cool sensation like water applied to a fevered brow soothed her consciousness.

It was heavenly! Within a few seconds, most of the dizziness had passed and her previously decided course returned to her. Still gasping for breath, Korrah forced her body into a kneeling position and stood back up, beating back the nausea.

"Master Jedi! Are you alright?" The Muun stepped forward – cautiously – reaching out a long, gray hand to her shoulder to steady her.

She nodded absently, already feeling better. She gently shrugging him off and finished standing back up. Once she was upright and focused again, she broke into a run down an alternate route to the hangers. She had to join Master Sifo-Dyas!

* * *

It was organized chaos in the open hanger bays. Blaster bolts streaked back and forth between the two sides ducking behind crates, ships, whatever offered cover from the enemy. More droids littered the ground and strode mechanically forward.

Korrah didn't recognize the series of droid, but she thought them similar to the one in her memories of the 'Clone Wars'. Not by much though. The resemblance stopped at humanoid and carrying blasters.

She ducked behind a stack of crates next to the smuggler she recognized as Grodet. He was palming several metal spheres in his hand as he fired off shot after shot. He glanced at her.

"Take out the rockets, did ya?"

She nodded.

"Well, that's some good news. What's better news is these are just short range droids. They can't go far from the master control box and I spied it earlier hidden under those trailers there. Bad news is I haven't been able to get a clear shot. If we can get an opening I can toss these."

He grinned crookedly and held up the metal spheres. "Just some homemade goodies. They'll fry the control box and shut down the droids."

Korrah grinned back. "Leave it to me. I'll cover you."

The man barked out orders to several others near them as Korrah jumped out from behind their cover with him right behind her.

Blaster bolts immediately pinged off of her lightsaber blade as she stayed in front of her impromptu partner, deflecting and clearing their way forward into the fray.

With a snap of his wrist, Grodet sent the miniature EMPs clinked along the floor and stopped perfectly under the trailers. A crackle- _pop_ electrified the air for a second before all the surrounding droids shuttered and deactivated, collapsing all around with a clatter of metal. The sudden quiet that followed felt odd for the first few seconds after the shooting stopped, but the Gridan smugglers slowly started stowing their weapons and checking about for safety sake.

Korrah clipped her lightsaber back to her belt after the last droid fell.

She was still heaving for breathe and her chest was aching. Her jaw hung slack and open as she looked around for any more immediate threats. Her attention was suddenly snapped onto Sifo-Dyas when he rushed over to her side and gripped her shoulder.

"Padawan, are you alright?"

His voices was oddly watery in her ears and sounded…distant. She swallowed.

"Y-yes Mas…Master. I'm…jus' tired." She slurred. Korrah's head swam. The ground seemed to rise up and she pitched forward, but her Master caught her other shoulder and steadied her.

" _Padawan, you're bleeding and trembling! What happened, are you hurt?"_

" _I am?"_ She thought.

Hearing her Master's voice in her mind cleared it of some of the confusion she'd been fighting and she regained a measure of physical and mental control of herself. With several deep breaths, Korrah stood straight and regained her balance though she was still slightly shaking.

"It's just a nosebleed, Master. I encountered three insurgents and half a dozen droids back in the plaza on my way here. I took down one and pushed another into the last, but the rocket fired when they collided and it flew up out of sight." She reported, voice growing more confident as she continued to describe what had happened.

"After I knocked the last two out the window, I sensed a warning through the Force. The rocket had flown up and struck the engines of Lord Darrajon's yacht and sent it careening towards the building where I was aiding some representatives. I acted in the heat of the moment and…redirected the trajectory of its descent so that it missed everyone."

A strange, disbelieving look passed over Sifo-Dyas' face. "That surge in the Force…that was you?"

She averted her eyes. "Yes, Master." She felt awkward. Had she done something wrong? Overexerted herself again perhaps?

Whispers were starting to break out behind them. Some of the hostages she'd rescued had rejoined the others in the hanger.

"The girl stopped the ship from falling out of the sky right on top of us!-"

"…well,…believe it-"

"…if not for witnessing it with my own two eyes."

Sifo-Dyas was silent for a few seconds, just staring at her. She gritted her teeth and tried not to fidget uncomfortably. Then Sifo-Dyas' hands fell away from her shoulders, though he squeezed once reassuringly, and schooled his expression as Sonso approached the two of them. He once again stood straight backed and poised like a proper Jedi Knight with Korrah naturally moving to emulate his posture, wiping away the last of the blood from her nose before putting her hands in her wide tunic sleeves to hide the fact that they were still shaking.

After everything, all Korrah wanted was to take a nap, but she'd be damned if she embarrassed her Master in front of everyone here.

The smuggler actually saluted Sifo-Dyas when they finished talking and walked away, after which her Master looked back at her. His brown eyes bored into her intently swirling with a deep emotion she couldn't quite identify.

"Korrah, I want you to return to our rooms and rest. I will handle what remaining issues there are here." He instructed. "If you start feeling any sudden pain or dizziness, contact the medical staff immediately and wait for me in the Med Bay until I finish. I will join you there or in our rooms once I get back."

The urge to argue and claim she was fine rose up within her, but she ignored it. She _was_ tired and if her Master was giving her permission to sleep off this exhaustion she wasn't going to refuse the opportunity from some misplaced stubbornness.

It would also give her an excuse to avoid all the stares she was getting from the people that had just witnessed her redirect a _kriffin'_ yacht with the Force. She could hear them still whispering all around the room.

She bowed as deeply as she dared without the risk of losing her balance and falling flat on her face.

"Yes, Master."

Setting off at a brisk pace she headed in the direction of their allotted quarters.

Korrah had barely made it down several hallways when a chill and short moment of dizziness floated over her and she stumbled.

Pain suddenly caught her unawares and she stopped; a hand went up to the back of her neck where the top of her scars were throbbing. She tried kneading it gently, but the muscles kept seizing up and cramping even harder.

" _Oh no, not now!"_ Korrah hissed at the pain.

She didn't want to go to the Med Center, but she wasn't so stubborn to realize that something was wrong. Sighing, she changed her direction and turned back around another corner moving as fast as she could to the Med Bay.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold did her back jerk painfully again and a cry slipped past her throat as she stumbled, curling up in a fetal position. Spasms started burning down her spine uncontrollably. Voices echoed from somewhere near her as she reached for the Force – for respite – but couldn't hold her concentration. Slowly, unconsciousness graced over her mind, pushing back the pain and she greeted the silent darkness.

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn woke up in his quarters and immediately wished he hadn't.

The sun wasn't even out yet and he had only fallen into bed several hours ago after returning from a mission with his Master. His head felt heavy and try as he did to keep hold of blissful sleep, it refused to stay. Unbearable thirst pulled at him, feeding his headache, so he heaved himself up with a groan and fumbled about until her found a nearby water bottle and drank deeply.

That's when he realized he really needed a shower. He hadn't even pulled off his boots or changed out of his tunics before falling onto his bed and passing out.

Yawning widely, he shuffled towards the fresher, but stopped and paused by the door when he overheard low voices in the apartment's common area.

 _-"-the amount of power she used!...If the prophecy holds true and the Dark Side is returning, what kind of madness is the Republic going to face if the Force saw it necessary to make her so…I'm at a complete loss over how to handle this. And the Republic, it's not ready-"-_

Qui-Gon's curiosity was quipped. That was Master Sifo-Dyas' voice.

The Padawan hovered as close as he dared to the doorframe, tamping down his Force presence. He was so exhausted it wasn't likely he'd been noticed anyway. He strained his ears at the rumbling sound of his Master's bass voice.

"You would do well not to put so much stock in prophecy, my friend." Dooku chided. "I honestly don't know which is worse: your constant drifting back and forth between your reverence of the Code and your duty as a teacher or your inability to stop imposing your expectations upon her… _and_ yourself."

 _-"I cannot simply ignore this, Dooku. My own visions have been very dark as of late. I can feel whatever it is lurking close by through the Force."-_

"Perhaps it would be better if the supposed Chosen One was not so coddled by the Jedi High Council?"

- _"The Council's attention to this isn't the issue Dooku. Their reasons for observing her progression are only-"-_

There was a break in the transmission and Qui-Gon dared use the smallest amount of the Force to try and hear more.

- _"I have to go. Korrah just collapsed outside the Med Bay."-_

Dooku graciously bid his farewells and the conversation drew to a close as Qui-Gon slid down the wall of his room and stared at the floor, shower forgotten as he tried to understand what he had just heard.

…Korrah was…the Chosen One?

Qui-Gon knew about the prophecy of the Chosen One. As a Jedi Padawan he had read it some years ago, but only in passing and honestly forgotten all about it.

He wanted to deny it. Pass off what he'd heard as some kind of mistake on the Jedi Council's part, but the words were buzzing around in his mind, unwilling to let him dismiss them. Little ripples were fluttering around him in the Force.

This was ridiculous! He didn't give prophecy or foresight too much credit – beside Korrah's on occasion –, never had. It distracted from what was important and happening in the moment. Even Korrah didn't trust her own visions blindly.

Wait…

Did Korrah know about this; what the Council were assuming she was? If so, how long had she known and more importantly why hadn't she said anything? They were friends, she could trust them with anything! They had already agreed that friends shouldn't keep secrets like _this_ from each other!

Right?

* * *

Rugess Nome stood in his quarters, allowing his civilian persona to fall away and his true self – Darth Tenebrous – once again commanded his being. The Bith's thoughts reviewed the events that transpired over the course of the last ten hours, starting with his first sighting of the Jedi Master and his Padawan.

Despite not having been in the same room when the incident occurred, he had felt the young girl's manipulation of the Force as she commanded it to cloak the falling yacht and prevent its disastrous crash, saving the lives of those on board. An unsettled agitation rested over his train of thought as he analyzed all he had observed.

" _Strange that I had not noticed such power from her when she first entered my presence. She is not old enough to have been taught advanced shielding from the_ _ **Jedi**_ _."_ His thoughts soured at the thought. _"Yet the ease with which she commanded the Force to do her bidding; such marvelous potential there."_

He waited for several more minutes, solely confidential to his ponderings, before he finally addressed the only other person in the room with him.

"You felt the girl's power too, my apprentice?"

"Yes, Master…she is stronger than I expected."

The Sith Master stood gazing out of a window in the direction of the wing where the Jedi were residing.

How aggravating. To be so close and yet so far from his desired prize. His apprentice stayed where he knelt ten paces away from him towards the center of the room.

"Stronger than either of us could have predicted." Darth Tenebrous intoned. Despite the less than desirable circumstances, he was rather pleased with this. "The raw potential that the girl carries is certainly magnificent. A pity that the Jedi reached her first."

The note of reprimand carried through his voice and he sensed the anger it sparked in his apprentice. It failed to raise any alarm him. Plagueis was still far from capable of beating him, a Sith Master.

"But that is of no matter now. A Jedi can spend their entire lives training in their ways only to succumb to the Dark Side in a matter of days, hours, even minutes under the right circumstances."

"Shall I engage her again?"

The Bith nodded. "Yes. Establish an acquaintance with the girl, this Padawan, and create a basis from which we can build a foothold to gain her trust in the future. Her Master too if he is pliable. Subtlety will have to be your ally in this endeavor. Do not fail in this venture again, Darth Plagueis."

With a word of acknowledgement, the Muun apprentice swept away. Tenebrous was left alone, gaze fixed out the window.

" _Yes, sublty."_ He thought. _"It has always been so for the Sith in these past centuries. But the results will be well worth the time and effort to ensure success."_

The Dark Side coiled around him, close; just under his skin yet still concealed from the Jedi's pitiful senses. Stripped even as he was of his foresight ability, Tenebrous' vast intellect pondered meticulously over the individual variables associated with the possible paths the future could branch off into from this moment.

The girl was older, maybe too old for his original plan, but the situation was salvageable. Plans could be changed, but the outcome would be made to fit his desires.

* * *

" _Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away,"_ Korrah thought. _"There_ _ **has**_ _to be an infirmary that isn't the most boring place on the planet outside of a grave."_

She pushed aside the tray carrying what was once a bowl of thick broth she'd been given for dinner and lay back in her cot. She began idly twirling the spoon around her fingers.

" _At least the food is good. No real injuries means no nutrient shakes, thank God."_

Talks had been resumed the day after the attack and, needless to say, things had gotten a little more animated. However, since collapsing from exhaustion and the pain in her back, Korrah had slept for over a day before waking up.

After several more incidents where her back had seized up again, her Master had insisted she stay under medical observation while he finished the mission. It tore at her pride to be kept away in a back room, but once she calmed down Korrah acknowledged in the back of her mind, she was relived at Sifo-Dyas' decision.

Having to endure even more tedious hours of talking out diplomacy and trade agreements just wasn't for her. At least alone in the Med Bay she could focus on keeping her back from acting up again and not worry about collapsing in front of everyone, but the boredom was starting to eat at her again.

Korrah flipped the spoon around and sighed morosely. _"I'd give a lot for a freaking tennis ball right now."_

Focusing on the utensil, she watched it float in lazy circles over her hand.

Her attention was caught by the door to the Med Bay opening and Korrah glanced over to see a tall Muun step inside. He immediately spied her on the bed and walked over placing a hand on his chest and smiling pleasantly.

"I had been hoping that I might come across you again, Master Jedi. When I didn't see you again among the negotiations, I feared the worst. Were you injured severely?"

Korrah pushed herself up into a sitting position and smiled back politely. It took her a second, but she recognized the Muun from the hostages she'd rescued whilst she had dealt with the rockets days before.

"I am well, sir. I wasn't hurt at all, actually, but in the excitement I overreached myself and collapsed from exhaustion."

"Really? I had heard you were comatose."

"Well, yes, but for now more than several hours. I'm alright now, but the medics want me here for observation. Thank you for your concern."

Thankfully, the atmosphere stayed casual and open as the Muun laughed with her and held out his hand. "That is a great relief. Please, excuse my poor manners. My name is Hego Damask of Damask Holdings. I wished to thank you in person for saving my life."

… _Hego Damask._

That name…meant something. Something…important, but she couldn't remember what.

Korrah dipped her head and shook his hand politely. "Pleased to meet you. If you don't mind me asking, how are the negotiations faring?"

Hego obligingly filled her in on what was happening outside and Korrah found the subsequent conversation a welcome relief to her stay in the Med Center. Hego was a good conversationalist and Korrah couldn't deny she appreciated the change from solitude. He seemed very happy when she started asking questions about his business and views on trade laws and procedures.

Before she realized it, over an hour had passed by the two as they talked when Hego's attention shifted to the spoon still floating and inch over her hand.

"Um, Master Jedi, how are you able to do that?"

"With the Force." He didn't look like he understood. "It's an energy field that is created by all living things; it surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the universe together." She recited.

"And Jedi can use this…force?"

She nodded. "It was how I was able to fight off the attackers and prevent the ship from crashing on top of us."

Korrah held out the object to him and he took it cautiously between two long fingers as if it were completely unknown to him.

"Are you certain that's wise? I mean, I may know nothing of this force or the full extent of a Jedi's abilities, but after witnessing what you did with that yacht, the fact that you're spending an extended stay in the infirmary is worrying. Is it safe?"

The Muun's concern was touching, but unnecessary in Korrah's mind. "I have been trained since I was young to use the Force safely and this is just some light practice. Nothing I can easily handle." She shrugged.

Her companion's expression turned sympathetic. "I'm sorry for my insistence, but I can't help my concern. You are still young after all it's only natural." He returned to staring at the spoon oddly. "Out of curiosity, how does this 'force' allow you to lift a spoon with your mind?"

Korrah paused and hummed thoughtfully. "It's a bit difficult to explain to someone who isn't sensitive to the Force."

"I'd like to hear about it anyway. Considering how long we've already been conversing, you must not have much to distract yourself as kept alone as you are here and I have no more pressing need to attend the rest of the negotiations. I'd like to learn more about the one who saved me, as it were."

Well, there wasn't much harm in that and he wasn't bad company. There was still that nagging feeling in the back of Korrah's head, though, tickling her with the fact she was forgetting something, but darn it all if she could remember it exactly what it was.

So, how she could go about this. She knew what she wanted to do. But was she really going to rip-off a scene from The Matrix?

Eh, why not? Inter-dimensional copyright laws didn't exist here. She was going for it.

"I'll try my best to make sense then. The Force is instinctual and not very good for logical explanation. It's…similar to stretching a muscle, but…no, that's not a very good comparison. A lot of it has to do with achieving the right state of mind than anything physical, really."

"How so?"

She smiled at him. "I don't lift the spoon. That's impossible. What I have to practice is realizing the truth."

"The truth?" Wow. He was really sticking to the script. How nice of him.

"There is no spoon." Korrah kept her eyes wide and innocent as she stared at the utensil in the Muun's hand. "Once that's realized I can see that it's not me that lifts the spoon, but the Force; that it's not even the spoon that is being lifted – being moved – but myself."

He gave a long blank stare before handing her back the spoon and smiling. "You'll have to forgive me, Master Jedi, but none of that made any sense to me."

She returned the smile and shrugged modestly. "My name is just Korrah sir, and I'm still a Padawan. 'Master Jedi' is for Master Sifo-Dyas' and it's okay if you don't understand. Not many people do."

"Even other Jedi?"

She looked away bashfully. "Mm, sometimes, yeah."

"You must be a rare prodigy to possess such abilities and wisdom at your young age, young Jedi."

The subtle ego stroking was a legitimate tactic to use on a preteen, but not a mentally advanced one. Korrah simply shrugged bashfully in response. "Not really. Given that I landed myself in the Med Center just proves that I'm still learning my limits."

A steady chirping sounded and Hego stood up reaching for his personal comm. "That is my personal assistant. I'm sorry, but my presence is required elsewhere now."

Korrah waved away is apology. "Its fine, sir. I really enjoyed myself. Thank you for stopping by anyway."

The Muun paused to write down a short note and handed it to her. "Please, call me Hego. Nevertheless, I cannot emphasize just how much I appreciate and wish to repay you for your help. If there's anything you need in the future, don't hesitate to contact me at this number."

Korrah felt a little overwhelmed at his offer and shook her head. "I don't need a reward. A Jedi lives to serve."

Hego smiled and raised a finger knowingly. "Ah, but had you not been a Jedi, you would have still helped wouldn't you?"

His words caught Korrah by surprise. She suddenly found herself unable to give an answer.

Hego nodded as if in understanding. "Jedi or not, it was you that helped me. I will not forget that. I dearly hope that we will meet again." He waved as he exited, expensive clothes swishing as he went.

Korrah stared after him, watching the door for a minute before blinking down at the piece of flimsi. _"Well…that was…an interesting development."_

* * *

Qui-Gon found himself meandering into the Halls of Healing, nursing a blistered forearm. He'd been out of sorts all day with his thoughts always being distracted back to the conversations he'd over heard. Looking around the Halls, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he found it empty and set about looking for a bandage.

Unfortunately, his search was interrupted by a familiar face walking in what a double load of freshly washed bed linens.

"Qui-Gon. What a surprise." The Iktotchi greeted in a dry voice. "I see you've managed to injure yourself yet again."

The older human Padawan sighed. "You know you're starting to sound more and more like Master Che."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He dropped his armload of laundry onto a counter.

"Just don't get smug, you'll be unbearable."

"Who me?"

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes at Roloh's wide-eyed, innocent expression.

"So, how did you get hurt?"

"Just a sparing accident. Lightsaber burn." Qui-Gon shrugged and winced when Roloh poked his injury.

"I can clearly see that. That's not like you, though. You're one of the best duelists in our generation. Or could it be you just peaked early and the rest of us are catching up?" He teased.

The Iktotchi boy had grown to be only a few inches shorter than Qui-Gon now, so he wasn't able to look down on him as effectively as in the past.

"I was…distracted." He bit out.

"Where you sparring with Tahl?"

"…No."

Roloh raising an eyebrow. "No? Well, then that's still not like you. What were you thinking about that made you lose focus to someone _not_ Tahl or Korrah?"

Qui-Gon quickly gave a vague answer. "I've just had a lot on my mind recently. Now can you please spare me some bacta and a bandage?"

Roloh nodded. "If you'll help me fold and store these linens afterwards."

He sat down and rolled up his sleeve as the healer in training brought out the needed supplies and started skillfully tending his injury.

"Master Che and I are going to be aiding the Alderaan relief missions to the Outer-Rim next week." Roloh commented. "Do you think Korrah will be back before we have to leave? I wanted to ask her opinion about the recent Rodian Health System Recall for my politics class project."

Qui-Gon hummed distractedly. "I doubt it. I overheard Master Dooku holo-calling Master Sifo-Dyas last night and again this morning."

"What did you hear?"

"Apparently, he and Korrah won't be back for another two to three weeks; longer than their mission's estimated time frame. Master Sifo-Dyas is dealing with the tail end of the negotiations alone since Korrah's being kept in the Med Center."

Roloh's head snapped up. "Korrah's injured! What happened? Is she alright?"

Qui-Gon nodded and tested his bandaged arm. "From what I heard, she's not hurt or anything. They had some trouble break out at the negotiations and she collapsed out from overuse of the Force when it was over. Apparently, her back started acting up again too."

His friend's expression shifted. An unusual, pinched look of indignation darkened the Iktotchi's tan features. "Oh. Well, that just… _great_." Roloh spat out.

Qui-Gon glanced over at him in surprise at his sudden shift in mood. "Roloh?"

The healer ignored him and turned his back, grabbing an armful of sheets and began folding them with quick, precise movements.

"Hey, I know you're worried about her, but Sifo-Dyas said it wasn't anything serious."

"I'm not worried about her, Qui-Gon, I'm…actually just angry right now."

The taller boy unrolled his sleeve. "Why are you're angry? Is it with Korrah? Because her back-"

He jumped when Roloh's hands actually slammed down onto the table.

"Yes! That just _it!_ Of course I'm going to be kriffin' angry at Korrah for flying off into danger, overestimating herself and reinjuring her back again!" He exclaimed and rounded on Qui-Gon. "What I want to know is why you aren't?! Don't you remember what happened when she overexposed herself and brushed against the Dark Side when we were younglings?"

Qui-Gon nodded. The memory of his friend's limp form being carried off an older Knight surfaced to the forefront of his mind. Roloh continued on.

"Her heart stopped! I was convinced she had _died_! Afraid and…and cold! And now there's lingering Dark energy that's staining the scars on her back that's only dormant. Repeated overexposure to the Force could reactivate it!"

He began busying himself again with folding the sheets angrily, almost ripping them in his ire.

"The Dark Side is _physically_ _corrosive_. I've told her all of this, but _no_! Every time I bring it up and emphasize the danger to her, she just smiles and tries to reassure me that she'll be fine!" He clenched his fists, straining the fabric.

"I don't want to be reassured she'll be okay! I want her to be healed! I want her to trust me with the truth! I-I want to know _why_ …why can't I heal her?"

Qui-Gon winced at Roloh's despondent tone. The younger Padawan had been trying to find a way to heal Korrah's back for over the past year, all but submerging himself into his studies and work.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he quickly moved to take the sheets from his younger friend's hands before he tore them by accident. Thankfully, he was able to do so as the Iktotchi reigned back his turbulent emotions and began well-practiced breathing exercises, hunched over the counter and slightly trembling from the strength of his outburst.

He still looked like he wanted to cry.

"Why can't she just rely on us a little more? We're her friends." His voice shook and he wiped a sleeve over his eyes.

" _Friends, huh?"_ Qui-Gon thought, but stayed silent and just stood by, helping Roloh finish folding the rest of the sheets.

He thought back to his Master's conversation he'd overheard.

Was it because she was the Chosen One that Korrah didn't lean on them?

* * *

It had been a long several weeks, but at the end of it all, the various trade agreements had been finalized between the suffering planets and the Gridan smugglers. The trading companies had missed out on their opportunity to reclaim their previous business with all the accusations and distrust going on. Sifo-Dyas hadn't been lying about the importance of a smuggler's reputation. Their surprisingly civilized demeanor during talks and ability to fight off hostile forces had apparently endeared them to the planetary representatives.

It would probably be some time before the trading companies would be accepted back into the systems again, and at reduced prices.

Meanwhile, Sifo-Dyas was reporting his findings about the instigators behind the attack to the Council as Korrah was busy distracting herself from her customary space-sickness, meditating in her quarters on the ship that was transporting her and her Master back to Coruscant. Her thoughts were a tangled web within her mind, primarily focused on two certain individuals.

Her memories had finally yielded what she'd failed to comprehend just days before.

A male Bith…celebrated starship designer…accompanied by a male Muun…and he was involved with the Intergalactic Banking Clan – what Muun wasn't in some way? – But his name: Hego Damask.

Hego _freaking_ Damask!

Korrah siphoned off her anxiousness and fear into the Force and deepened her meditation trance. Her breathing was slow and measured. Within the Force that cloaked her being, Korrah took a moment to relax her mind as it languished over what pieces of information she knew. It had taken her a while to meditate and sift through her memories to find them, but she remembered the Sith names of the two. Long before she had been able to recall their public aliases anyway.

A Bith and a Muun.

Rugess Nome and Hego Damask II.

Respectively, Darth Tenebrous and Darth Plagueis.

She knew more about Damask than Nome as her memory dictated that the Muun had been the one who would go on to train Palpatine, the Sith who would be given the title of Darth Sidious.

Nome was…as best as she could recall, a very scientifically-minded Sith and there was something in her memory about a retro-virus that either had to do with his own midiclorians or with stripping the Jedi of their ability to sense the Force. However, she knew that pursuit had ultimately resulted in failure so she didn't worry over it.

Due to the reveal that the Jedi believed she was the Chosen One, Korrah had anticipated something of this nature might happen eventually, but not this soon! Now that she had caught the attention of the Sith, the gravity of what she was going to be attempting was…truly starting to dawn on her. This was dangerous, however, there was no turning back now. No, now she just had to keep three steps ahead of them.

Easier said than done.

If anyone caught on to the truth, everything would go to hell as kriffin' lightspeed with nothing to stop it.

Korrah had a plan. She didn't need to be the Chosen One. Bringing balance to the Force and defeating the Sith was unquestionably Anakin's destiny in her mind, but given her abilities, skills and potential in the Force, Korrah was confident that she could convincingly act like she was the one spoken of in the prophecy if she tried. As long as she continued the façade – which meant neither outright _denying_ nor _accepting_ the possibility – she could distract both the Jedi and the Sith and lure them away from the real thing; to act as a shield to protect the true Chosen One.

She had been trying to work backwards from her knowledge of when Qui-Gon had originally found Anakin during the events of the Naboo Blockade. The boy had been nine years old and Qui-Gon had been around sixty, so given their current ages she had over thirty years, maybe closer to forty before Anakin should be born!

But that was assuming that Darth Plagueis would still perform his midiclorian manipulation experiments that resulted in Anakin's conception in the first place!

That was a very big concern for Korrah. She had several ideas on how she could potentially handle that, but it was too early to commit to anything right now. More careful consideration was still required at that stage of her plans.

What she did know was she would be planning for was that while she set herself up as a red herring, the time would come when she would somehow orchestrate the secret and 'serendipitously' discovering the genuine article under everyone's very noses.

" _Qui-Gon Jinn had found the Chosen One originally and, Force-willing, he would be the one to do so again."_ She vowed.

And if she had her way, it would be at an earlier time than before.

However, that was all over three decades from now. Here in the present she would have to be patient and careful; oh so very, very careful in her moves right now.

Hego Damask had offered her his ruse of friendship, no doubt in an attempt to establish and gain some influence over her.

Well…she was just a thirteen-year-old Jedi Padawan with little knowledge of the world beyond the Jedi Temple and its Code. And he had seemed so genuine and thoughtful. What harm could it be to have a… _friend_ outside of the Order?

* * *

 **Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **With the end of a semester coming up and classes really starting to buckle down on us in preparation for finals, I'm glad I got this out now since I'll be working even harder towards the New Year.**

 **Well, Korrah's now on the radar of certain individuals and things aren't always find and dandy back home. Can't wait to see what's going to come of that.**

 **Thank you all once again and please favorite, follow and review! Hearing from you all was awesome (special mention to 'OldWorldVulture' for their** _ **beast**_ **of a review! It gives me life T_T) and see you all next time!**

 **And to reviewer 'Kaliedo'…ask me your question again in about 60 chapters. ;)**


	16. Chapter 15: Kidnap

**A/N: BACK FROM THE DEAD!**

 **Hey, everyone. Sorry for dropping off the map like that, but I am** _ **swamped**_ **with even** _ **more**_ **classwork than last year, so fair warning, things** _ **will. be. slow.**_ **regarding updates. Summer updates might be better kept on schedule but until then, I'll do my best.**

 **Gah! A pox on writer's block! I already had to drag every word out by its front teeth to get this written. However, I'm back now, (** _ **finally)**_ **with another chapter.**

 **Short time skip since when last we left off, but hopefully that won't be confusing to anyone. Thank you all for the spectacular support you've shown for this story and patience for me in finally getting this out. Quick 'thank you' to Ducky9002 for editing as fast as possible.**

 **Anyway, back to the chapter. Relax and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Kidnap

With one last acrobatic flip and a perfectly executed swipe at his opponent's blade, Qui-Gon grinned as he halted his movements and his opponent – an azure Duros Padawan older than him by several years – stood panting, disarmed, and with the edge of his green blade held close against the side of his throat.

"Solah."

Qui-Gon quickly pulled back, victory alighting his blue eyes as he bowed politely in time with the Senior Padawan. Breathing hard, the eighteen-year-old straightened up to his impressive full height. He already towered a full head over most of his peers at six-foot-four and he figured he may yet have a few inches left before his growth was finished.

He looked over to where Dooku was standing with Master Yoda and Cin Drallig. The three Masters approached him, Dooku's posture being perfectly poised and his countenance controlled as always, but Qui-Gon mentally congratulated himself for managing to spot the pride in the older man's eyes before it was tucked away from view.

Yoda shuffled forwards, the two Jedi Masters taking up positions behind him.

"Impressive, young Qui-Gon Jinn. Talented in Ataru among your peers you truly are."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." He answered back.

Qui-Gon inhaled deeply and steadied his breathing, completely confident in his performance. His chosen proficiency of Form III, Ataru, was an acrobatic and fast-paced fighting style. Combined with his sparsely – _begrudgingly_ – learned Form II katas and his towering figure it made him a challenging opponent, even combating some of the fully fledged Knights.

Yoda looked over his uprights posture and gave a short hum. His green eyes were searching and Qui-Gon calmly met them; steady and resolute.

"However, still many years ahead of you, you have. New paths and decisions still to face there are. Ready for them do you believe you are?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, Master Yoda."

The diminutive Jedi nodded in return with one last comment.

"Then finished this assessment is. Approve your ascension to Senior Padawan we do."

Cin Drallig stepped forward and shook his hand before he and Yoda walked off. Qui-Gon finished accepting his opponent's own congratulations when Dooku finally approached and motioned him to follow.

"It still surprises me," he commented. "How you managed to conjure up the adaptability to combine what little Makashi you would accept to learn with a Form as _inelegant_ as Ataru." His expression was the very picture of understated apathy, like an art critic viewing a vandalized masterpiece. "The corrosion of the Form is already there…and your riposte is still atrocious."

Qui-Gon chuckled, but refrained from responding as he waited for Dooku to finish.

"Nevertheless, see to it that you wear your promotion well. You are all but a grown man now with no excuse to do otherwise."

The now Senior Padawan couldn't resist the sly smile. "I shall, as always, endeavor to exceed your expectations, Master, though given my rate of growth I fear it may not fit me for long. When do you think I can expect to trade it in for another mantle to wear?"

His eyes were stern, but the twitching corner of his lips, not quite hidden under his peppered-gray and black beard, betrayed Dooku's own amusement.

"Arrogance is unbefitting of a Jedi. Don't mistake physical prowess for the maturity necessary for Knighthood. I did not teach you to rely on strength alone these past years, Qui-Gon."

He needlessly adjusted his impeccably pressed tunics.

"As my apprentice, there is no doubt of you meeting the qualifications regarding the level of your skills expected of a Senior Padawan. Now, what is to be developed and mastered before your Knighthood is your character. Your ascension in rank is justified, but I fully expect you to manage the increase to your responsibilities on your own. During this time, it falls upon you to set your regiments and balance them with your studies accordingly."

The older Jedi pinned Qui-Gon with a look and his voice took on a gravelly undertone that always caused him feel as though he were five feet tall and ten years old again.

"I will not accept any excuse for shirking your studies or growing lax in your personal training pursuits."

With his heartbeat calming completely, Qui-Gon nodded studiously. "I understand, Master."

Seemingly satisfied, the two carried on in comfortable silence. Qui-Gon was thoughtful. There had once been a time in his apprenticeship when he never would have believed Dooku would accept any decision from him other than to follow the path that he had laid before him, but years had passed since then.

Now, after almost ten years of apprenticeship and adventures together, Qui-Gon could – and would – honestly claim he and Dooku were good friends beyond their bond as Master and Padawan. There was more understanding there, fittingly woven together by the things they had and still left unspoken.

Neither of them were particularly emotional types, although Qui-gon believed Dooku still outstripped him by lightyears in that regard.

It probably still killed the older man to even consider letting him, as he would describe it, ' _thoughtlessly gallivant off to rescue the plebian masses'_ , – especially not when his own path being so obviously the most logical and productive – but he wasn't shutting him down with some condescending guilt trip.

" _The Force works in mysterious ways."_ Qui-Gon mused.

"If you are otherwise unoccupied, I had wished to ask you to join me in the Archives later today. Within my latest research, there are several matters I had thought to include you for the sake of having the perspective of a younger mind."

At the inquiry, the Padawan refocused his thoughts. His mood immediately lightened. Helping Dooku on one of his 'side projects' meant there was a high chance he'd get to see Tahl today.

"What would those be?"

"Going over the surviving accounts of the First and Second Great Schism." Qui-Gon blinked.

"Oh? I thought you'd moved on from those to the journal fragments of Xendor by now."

"Under closer scrutiny I have discovered a discrepancy _and_ similarity between the two that may prove a longstanding theory of mine."

"…And you're not going to tell me exactly what this theory is because you need an unbiased, outside opinion for the comparison, are you? Or was there another reason?"

"I see the years spent honing your mental acuity were not wasted. You do not know how much this pleases me."

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes, as he ascended a wide flight of carved stairs alongside his Master. Mindful of the echoing effect the structure had, he moderated the volume of his voice.

"I can't help but find it odd, since I could have sworn that the Council were so staunchly against even removing them from their vault again. Especially after they spent almost three hours articulating their 'strongly felt assessments' regarding the heretical contents of those artifacts the first time you requested access to them." He said carefully, but felt no surprise when Dooku just snorted softly and brushed it off.

"The pursuit of knowledge and understanding is rarely a path walked without controversy of some sort." The older man deflected. "And the Council is not without shortsightedness in their judgment of history in this regard. Nor even within history itself."

It sounded like he was speaking more to himself now than Qui-Gon, who wiped away lingering sweat from his brow, immediately reshuffling a shower to the forefront of his priorities. His muscles had started to ache from the scaling the incline and he tried to disguise his deeper breathing and sigh of relief when they reached the top of the stairs.

"Well, I'll be delayed for a short time, but I'm sure Tahl will be somewhere in the Archives helping her Master today. If you still need a younger perspective before I join you, she'll definitely prove an invaluable help."

Dooku silently slanted a cynical, knowing look at his student's mention of his Noorian friend. "'After victory, tighten your armor', Qui-Gon." He murmured.

Qui-Gon's responsive glance and smile was wry, but oblivious to the direction of Dooku's private musings. "That was awfully poetic of you, Master."

"An old Serreno saying, as I recall it."

"What is it supposed to mean?"

"It is an expression to remind one's self to maintain constant vigilance, and not succumb to familiar circumstances or…sentiment that could become a pitfall while blinded in a moment of accomplishment."

Qui-Gon's brow creased lightly in confusion, but he didn't comment further on the subject. "Very well. Should I prepare something to eat in the apartments later this evening or will we be taking dinner in the confectionery?"

"Both would be unlikely, as my current research will occupy most of my focus for the next week at least. You will be free to pursue your own studies tomorrow."

"Ah, I see."

Dooku gravitated off down another hallway, but not before placing a strong hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder.

"You've done well, Qui-Gon. May the Force be with you."

Pride colored the Force around him in warm currents. Qui-Gon grinned broadly and dipped his head.

"May the Force be with you, Master."

After a quick trip to his apartment for a shower, Qui-Gon found himself meandering around the Temple. Despite the intensiveness of his earlier sparring, he was feeling refreshed and every bit as indestructible as a newly promoted Senior Padawan would. He didn't feel like going down to the Archives and following Dooku's advice regarding his studies just yet; not in his current mood.

Qui-Gon briefly considered going out into Coruscant and seeing some casual friends – who were not part of the Order – at a nearby pub, but it was still too early in the day for that. Eventually coming to a decision, Qui-Gon altered his course in the direction of the Halls of Healing.

However, as he drew close to his intended destination, his path crossed another's. The Padawan stopped abruptly, surprised.

"Korrah?" he instantly took in the strained look to her appearance. She had dark circles under her eyes again. "Aren't your Mando'a language classes in session right now? What are you doing here?"

The younger Padawan blinked several times as if just registering his arrival. Her long, dark braid swung by her hips when she shook her head.

"Wha…oh, no. I was just finished meditating in The Room of a Thousand Fountains. I…I've been having visions again and…one of them took me completely off guard in the middle of class. I woke up on the floor and Master Ignaka sent me…well, she told me to go back to the apartments and rest, but I wanted to relax among the plants and fountains. Meditating in my room just isn't cutting it anymore. It's too…um, quiet."

Qui-Gon frowned as she trailed off. He opened his mouth to 'suggest' she go to the Halls of Healing, but no words came out. Considering who was currently _hiding_ there, it would not be a good idea to purposefully put her in close proximity to them.

Korrah took no notice of his thoughts and smiled – unconvincingly. "Don't worry. They'll pass. It's just been a rough month; that's all."

Qui-Gon barely stopped himself from snorting and his thoughts remained on their previous track. His visit to the Halls could wait. Right now, he decided, Korrah needed something to distract herself from her overbearing visions and re-center herself in the moment.

"Are you going to retire to your apartment or were you just on your way back to class?" he asked.

She brushed a hand over her head, hesitating. "Actually, I was thinking about getting some…late lunch, early dinner? I've completely lost track of time. Where were you headed to just now?"

He shook his head, Padawan braid swinging against his shoulder. "Nowhere urgent. I'm feeling like some food as well."

Seemingly uninterested in questioning further, Korrah merely shrugged by way of response and they carried on down the halls in silence while Qui-Gon tried to think of something to draw Korrah out of her own skull. His female friend's tendency to brood over certain things had become more common for her recently – even downright _unbearable_ over the most recent year due to… _reasons_ – and so even though it wasn't a personal skill, Qui-Gon attempted at small talk.

"I saw Master Yoda earlier today. Any guesses as to why?" he led on.

Korrah gave him a black stare. "Did you get a new hair-cut?"

Her dry tone gave away just how exhausted she really was as well as signaling that any further beating around the bush would be unwelcome, so he simply confessed.

"I passed my Senior assessments just a couple hours ago."

"…That was today?"

"Yes. I'm honestly surprised that you forgot. I can clearly recall informing you of it multiple times over the past week."

"And clearly, I can assure you that it _is_ possible to ignore you if one tries hard enough."

Any genuine annoyance Qui-Gon might've felt at his friend was brushed away at the loosening of Korrah's shoulders and the appearance of the small – but real – smile since they started talking.

She sighed again. "So, did you pass?"

"Well, _obviously_." He enunciated.

Korrah blushed at her slip and gave a rueful smile dragging a hand over her hair again. "Oh. Sorry, I just…I mean congratulations, Qui-Gon! Does Tahl know yet?"

"Not yet, but since it was made official, I plan on telling her later today."

Korrah winked, somewhat smugly and all-too-knowingly at him. "Now that she can't make good on her threat to draft you into helping her reorganize the Galactic Histories of Political Alliances section if you dared disturbed her before you passed, huh?"

…Well, that _might_ have been one of the primary reasons he'd been avoiding the place lately. Even if it did mean seeing less of his good friend.

"You're the first to know."

"Well, _now_ I feel honored." She sassed, but seemed like her tiredness and whatever was haunting her was slowly easing out of her features. "And, again, good for you! It was only a matter of time anyway." She smirked. "Now you can volunteer to teach the younglings their katas. I can't _wait_ to see that."

She laughed aloud at his disgusted face. Just as Korrah finished a stray thought cast a shadow of melancholy through her eyes for a second.

"I'm sure Roloh will be happy to hear when he gets back too." She whispered and missed how Qui-Gon swallowed uncomfortably as they entered the confectionery and the two continued sassing back and forth as they filled up their trays. The cavernous room was surprisingly empty except for a few other Jedi Knights on the far side, who seemed to be close to finishing their own late lunches.

Qui-Gon began helping himself to the buffet as the service droids roamed around behind the counter.

"Are you stocking up for a famine I haven't heard of? And go easy on the tubers. Leave some for others." Korrah scolded.

He made a show of looking around the room, much to his friend's unimpressed stare.

"Hey, I'm an eighteen-year-old human male who's still growing. I need my nutrition."

"Try eating like that all the time you're going to get so big, you'll get stuck in the Temple doorways. I'm still honestly surprised they make tunics in your size." She swooped in front of Qui-Gon to grab the last two citrus cakes before he could. "Of course, maybe it could be you've been drinking too much blue milk." Korrah said as she filled a cup of the aforementioned drink.

The older Padawan rolled his eyes and instead snagged a serving of cocoa cake and milk of his own. "You can just say _milk_ , you know."

"I know." She said. "But it's _blue_."

Qui-Gon opted to pinch the bridge of his nose rather than let out another sigh. It was fast becoming a bad habit around his younger friend.

"You know, Korrah, we've been friends for years; been through a lot of things together, but your fascination with this subject is really starting to worry me. Just, _why_ are you so fixated over the _natural_ color of milk?"

Never let it be said that Korrah, though naturally gifted and strong in the Force, didn't have her…inexplicable and rather _odd_ quirks. But weren't eccentricities usually displayed by such 'geniuses'? (Or was the plural form of geniuses 'geni'? Whatever…) He now supposed so.

" _Probably should have guessed it when she decided to spend an entire afternoon coming up with a game like 'Cards Against the Galaxy'."_ Qui-Gon thought upon introspective.

"Because it's _blue_!" she predictably insisted, as if the supposed abnormality of the hue should be _obvious_.

He sat down with her, taking up a place out of the way from common foot traffic of the confectionery and obligingly fell into the familiar banter as he started his meal. "Yes, of course it's blue! It's always been blue; it will always _be_ blue! We've been over this!"

"Unless, of course, it was _green_ …" she muttered, staring at her beverage.

"Don't be disgusting. What animal gives green milk?" Qui-Gon quickly pointed a stern finger in her face. "That was a rhetorical question. _Don't_ answer that."

She snapped her jaw shut, sulking just a bit.

Qui-Gon laughed, inexplicably feeling like he might have dodged a blaster bolt for a second. "For all your weird obsession with the substance, you drink as much of it as I do, and you're still the shortest behind me and Tahl."

"Which is the only reason your asinine 'short jokes' even have air to breathe, you gigantic freak. And Tahl's only and inch taller than me, now! I'm catching up."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

He made a move to snag one of her small citrus cakes, but an invisible force moved a free utensil and he yanked his hand back a split second before it stabbed back down to the tray.

Korrah glared at him. He grinned back. Cue the expected eye-roll and restrained smile. The distraction seemed to be working. As they continued eating and talking, she seemed to have forgotten whatever it was she'd been so distraught over before regarding her visions.

Maybe she'd talk about it now.

"Well, we won't be able to know for sure who's the shortest until we can count Roloh when he gets back from his mission."

Qui-Gon's lips thinned when he noticed Korrah's eyes cast downward and her expression grew guilty. Realizing he was well and truly fed up with dancing around this particular subject, he changed his mind about asking of her visions and focused in on the 'situation' between her and Roloh that was eating her up inside. He set his fork down.

"Korrah, talk to me and don't avoid the topic. It's been over a year since Roloh and Master Che left."

"And considering I haven't spoken to him in almost two years, I'm completely justified in my anxiety."

" _What_ _happened_ , Korrah? I know you had a fight-"

"We didn't have a fight, Qui-Gon, I…I _kriffed up_ , okay!"

Thank goodness that classes were still in session and the confectionery was all but deserted. He might had warned Korrah to keep her voice lowered otherwise.

"Would you start by actually telling me what it was about?"

Korrah's hand started fiddling with the end of her long braid, while the other mindlessly moved her mutilated citrus cake about her plate with her fork.

She sighed. "It all started after the mission to Gridan. After the 'boring negotiations tactics' were interrupted by 'aggressive negotiation tactics'. I ended up saving a Muun from the Banking Clan in the ensuing chaos. He was _really_ grateful after that, even visited me in the Med Bay afterwards, and claimed he wanted to stay in touch or something until he'd paid me back."

Having seemed to have lost her appetite, Korrah pushed her tray away and lay the side of her head on the table.

"I didn't think it would be that much trouble. Save someone's life, it's usually the norm for them to act this way, but I didn't expect him to be so persistent afterwards." She winced at her own admission. "I…didn't tell Roloh, or anyone because I didn't think it was important; just an overzealous beneficiary of me being in the right place at the right time. And Roloh took it to think I didn't trust him or worse was letting go of him as a friend. And when I found him going through my holo-calls, I…" Korrah lifted her head from the table to massage her temples.

"If it had been any other day when I hadn't been so tired from visions and training and, just, _everything_ at that moment when all I wanted to do was fall down in bed, he held up my _private call records_ and I…lost control of my temper."

Qui-Gon stayed silent and chewed angrily on another tuber, wincing when a hard bit of root got caught in his gums. Galling as it was, no matter how much it didn't sit right with Qui-Gon to hold back what he wanted to say, he'd made a promise and did not say anything.

It really sucked being stuck like this.

He finally swallowed his food and pushed his own tray aside. "Look, I'm not going to defend Roloh's snooping, that wasn't right. But you were keeping secrets that caused him to develop some doubts. He was worried about you and in the end, you both overreacted. Just go see him and apologize."

"You think that'll be enough?" she whispered despondently. "What if he still doesn't want to see me when he gets back?"

He almost rolled his eyes. "So, corner him while he's in the infirmary or his apartment and don't go away, I know you're stubborn enough for that. Roloh's an empath, Korrah. He knows _exactly_ how you felt, but he's just…"

Korrah's head perked up. "Wait. Have you…spoken to him recently? I thought he was still off world."

"… _ah…kriff! I gave too much away. What now…"_

Honestly, this whole charade was getting ridiculous.

"Not too long ago." He hedged, stalling. "It was short and we didn't really discuss much."

"How is he?"

"The hostilities picked up and reignited the civil war. He was busy tending to all the new casualties while Master Che tried reestablishing communications with the government to supply more medicines."

They lapsed into a short silence; Korrah to her own thoughts as Qui-Gon mentally mulled over what he just learned. Now that he knew a little more about the situation, he felt confident in trying to bridge the rift between his friends – if indirectly – just a little.

"I don't believe that Roloh would ever sever your friendship. Not over an argument, but if he continued to feel that you didn't see him as an equal…that you didn't trust him…"

Korrah looked completely confused. "But I _do_ see him as an equal! How could he ever think that I don't?"

"Probably because you've _always_ mothered him, Korrah." If this was going to be an impromptu intervention he might as well deliver the heavy blows now.

She looked ready to deny but he interrupted.

"Yes, Korrah, you _coddled_ him. He was so used to you sharing everything with him, you suddenly having a secret you refused to share with him – again, I might add – he got worried. Whether the two of you are aware of it or not, he's been depending on you for emotional stability for years." Qui-Gon shrugged, scoffing slightly. "I'm not surprised that he's not so great at managing his own emotions alone. I think when you fought he was confused and angry more at himself for his sudden lack of control than at you."

Korrah rubbed the back of her neck. "I…hadn't thought about it like that." She trailed off, looking lost. "So, the mission Master Che took him on then was probably just…"

"Most likely it was Master Che's idea. To get him some experience away from others and develop his emotional control in an environment that required it." Qui-Gon cut in quickly. It hadn't been. But if the possibility helped ease her mind any, he'd go for it.

"I wouldn't hold it against him for wanting space." Korrah muttered, then sighed. "Hindsight; what a lovely ability. Everything seems so irrational and stupid now." She looked up. Her smile was a bit self-deprecating.

"Was I really that bad?"

Qui-Gon didn't bother trying to spare her feelings. "The two of you are the same age and yet you've always treated him like he was a child; like he was younger than you. No one tolerates that forever. Everyone grows up and wants to be treated as such."

"Yeah. I…guess I forgot about that. I forgot a lot." Korrah spoke in a quiet, halting tone. "I know it sounds like a stupid excuse, but…I shouldn't have. And I should've never made such a big deal out of the whole thing."

Qui-Gon raised his hands, assuring her. "Hey, I'll say it again: you overreacted. You're sorry and you're willing to admit it. That's your first steps right there. And everyone's got things they keep to themselves. Even when they have people who would listen and not judge them over whatever it may be."

" _Like being the Chosen One."_ He thought to himself. _"Will you ever decide to tell us about that?"_

Further conversation was halted as Korrah's comm started chiming and the younger Padawan turned to the side to answer it. Qui-Gon finished the rest of his food as she communicated with whoever was on the other end. After ending the call, Korrah gathered up the contents of her tray.

"Master and I have another mission off-world in just over a week so I'm going to start packing now. I'll let you know when we'll be expected back later today."

Qui-Gon nodded. "Got it."

Korrah paused as she stood up. "If you hear from Roloh again…I need to apologize to him in person, so…when he gets back…please?"

The confession was on the tip of his tongue again, but he stopped it.

"Yeah, don't worry. I agree. You two need to talk."

"I know I was wrong." She shrugged. "I guess I forgot I could do that."

And before he could say anything in response, Korrah had already left the table and disappeared around the confectionary doorway.

* * *

Later that evening, after he'd been excused by Dooku from helping him with reviewing several more controversial texts, Qui-Gon strode purposefully through the Halls of Healing to one of the far back rooms and pulled aside the drawn privacy curtain surrounding it. Re-affixing it back in place he crossed his arms and leveled a hard look at the bed's occupant.

"This _can't_ go on."

"Hello to you too, Qui-Gon, and congratulations I assume on your promotion to Senior Padawan."

The Iktotchi's dry comment did nothing but aggravate the already irritated Padawan's last nerve. The eighteen-year-old human stalked over and ripped the holo-book Roloh had been perusing out of his thick hand, careful to avoid the casted arm that was supported in a sling.

"I'm serious, Roloh! I don't know how long you expect to keep this up, but it's getting ridiculous!"

"You can't tell her I'm here. You promised!"

None too gently, Qui-Gon slapped the holo-book down on the side table. His patience towards his injured friend exhausted to the point of putting no effort in hiding his frustration and how fed up he was the situation, despite knowing how much it could upset Roloh's empathy at this close range.

He hoped it got his point across. His words sure didn't seem to working.

"Oh, I remember. And I also remember saying that I didn't agree with keeping your return a secret. I know you two had a falling out, but that was _over a year ago._ This can't keep going on. Korrah's leaving on a mission with Master Sifo-Dyas at the end of the week! Can't you just see her before she goes and maybe put this-this…whatever this is, behind the two of you?"

"No." Roloh snapped. "I've made up my mind and you're not going to change it." He looked away, wide features pinching together into what Qui-Gon could only describe as petulant. "It none of her business." He muttered.

The human Padawan threw his hands up dismay. "Isn't that the same _exact_ thing that she said to _you_ when you were going through her comm calls because she wouldn't tell you who she was keeping in contact with? It's not a crime to have friends outside the Temple-"

"This has nothing to do with that, Qui-Gon! That's not even why I volunteered to go with Master Che and you know it!"

"No I don't! All I knew before today was that you two argued, then you both stopped talking to each other and then it got to the point where the both of you wouldn't so much as walk through the same halls together for over a month before you decided it'd be better to disappear off to into the Outer Rim for a _two_ _year_ mission!"

Roloh shut his mouth resolutely. He leaned over on his good side and picked up another holo-book and pointedly ignored his visitor.

Qui-Gon pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache building behind his eyes. _"Kriffin' great! Just as I get Korrah to open up, Roloh shuts everyone out. These two, I swear-"_

"So, this is it? You're just going to keep cutting your friends out of your life like this?

"I'm not ending my friendships with anyone. I'm just…taking a break. Growing up on my own."

Qui-Gon would have snapped something back at him if he didn't spot the childish stubbornness drop from Roloh's face for a few seconds when he spoke those words. He didn't look at all like he believed his own words. He looked…lost.

Okay, it was slightly reassuring to see that keeping Korrah in the dark _was_ affecting the Iktotchi. More than he realized. Or rather, more than he was _willing_ to admit!

"Striking out on your own is fine, we all would support you – yes, even Korrah told me not several hours ago that she wouldn't deny giving you space to grow if that was what you wanted – but this is just going about it entirely the wrong way!"

Qui-Gon ran a hand roughly through his short hair and shook his head, frustration mounting. He wondered how his two friends were going to be able to get past this rough patch in their friendship.

" _Not anytime soon with everyone keeping secrets from each other like this, at any rate."_

"You have to let her know you're back. I'm going to be too busy to be here to support while you're here healing."

"It's not even that serious." The Iktotchi muttered sullenly. His expression once again was like that of a stubborn child in Qui-Gon's mind.

He didn't buy it for a second.

"It was serious enough that you were sent back six months early by Master Che, though. Not because you broke your arm, but for mandatory sessions with a _Mind Healer_!" He sucked in a calming breath, two fingers coming up to massage his temples.

"You had a _kriffin'_ _meltdown_ in the field that resulted you losing control and unleashing a near _quarter-mile_ wide empathetic attack and you expect me to believe that choosing to distancing yourself from your _best friend_ is a healthy step towards the path of recovery for whatever trauma it is you've suffered. Would you care to further explain your logic behind this decision, because I sure can't figure it out?"

Roloh whipped his head around. Pain mixed with fear as his arm jerked harshly at the sudden movement.

"How did you- who told you about that?!"

"Well it certainly wasn't you! If Knight Gea Amn hadn't come up to me and told me about it by chance, I never would have known! Did you even think about telling any one of us? Just once? Or do I have to find out everything through concerned acquaintances?" He snarled angrily.

Roloh averted his gaze, eyes sad and guilty, but his jaw was still stubbornly set. "I can't have anyone's emotions interfering with my own. If I can't deal with regaining control over my empathy under my own power…it'll just set back my therapy schedule."

"That is a brilliant line of bantha chssk."

Roloh scowled.

"Isn't giving emotional support what friends are for? Korrah's already driving herself in circles from worrying if you'll ever speak to her again!" Qui-Gon tried again.

"I can do this! If I don't, I'll just be forever following around in other people's shadows. I-I've got to stand on my own right now, okay? To prove that I can. That's my final decision, so drop it, Qui-Gon."

So… _stubborn_! This was hopeless. _He_ was just going around in circles at this point.

Qui-Gon shook his head and turned to leave, but paused in the doorway and wondered if Roloh could feel just how drained he was by this conversation.

"You're not the only one who's been in a life-or-death situation Roloh. We all have by now. I've seen death too. I've had to fight on battlefields and even kill. I know how easy it is for a life to be lost and-"

Roloh interrupted. "But you've never had to play the part of Healer in those situations, Qui-Gon, so please don't assume you understand _my_ perspective of such experiences."

Qui-Gon's lips thinned tightly, continuing from where he'd been cut off.

"-and I would assumed with your new, firsthand experience with war, you know better than anyone that life's not a guaranteed. That there's no promise in this life that Korrah will make it back from her next mission or that I or even Tahl will find the patience for you to get over yourself or whatever it is that's holding you back from being honest with us. Anything could go wrong. And what then? What if Korrah's the one who comes home in critical condition? Or a casket? What then?"

He exited without listening for an answer and strode out the door. Foregoing his plans to return to his apartments, he stalked back to the salles, palms already itching to grab his lightsaber from his belt.

Tea wouldn't be enough to reign in his temper at this point. But a little physical exertion (or a lot) would go a long way in calming him down over this needless drama.

* * *

 **Ten days later…**

Korrah's nose itched. She wanted to scratch it, but she couldn't move. There was also something horribly sour pressing against her tongue inside her mouth and it naturally recoiled from it.

Seconds slid by like thick molasses and more and more things began to register in her accumulating awareness.

She was having trouble breathing, her head felt too hot, her eyelids were refusing to open and there was a horrible feeling of…of, emptiness in her chest.

 _What...?_

Still unable to move, Korrah tried to reach out with her mind for…for something. Something important. What was it? She felt drugged…or what she imagined being drugged felt like.

…was she drugged? This all felt wrong. Wasn't it?

Her mind was sluggishly forcing her thoughts into order while her entire body ached in a truly uncomfortable way, all the way down to her bones. Nausea clawed at her throat and she swallowed painfully. Something heavy and stifling was covering her head and was making breathing difficult.

She didn't try to move. Instead, she tried to think back. What was her most recent memory?

The Temple? No…

…the mission.

Yeah, she'd been accompanying Master Sifo-Dyas on a mission to the…the Vexta System? To the planet of…Delephran to help officials with the up-sweep in piracy along the Vexta Belt. There had been something about a mole in the defense forces and…

…well, Korrah could remember arriving on the planet and greeting some of the officials, but then her grasp on her memories went dark and muddled and she couldn't clearly remember anything from that point on. Had she even made it to their accommodations?

Pain lanced through her head and kept building up behind her eyeballs into a proper headache. Thinking hurt too much at the moment. She'd do it later.

Gritting against the sour cloth still blocking her mouth, Korrah finally pried one of her eyes open. A cloth bag or sack had been pulled over her head, but to her good luck, a tear in the seam offered her a small view past to her current surroundings. Her body hurt too much to move, so she peered as best as she could through the rip. Instead of the utilitarian room adjacent to her Master's that she could barely remember now, she found herself lying on her side on a dirt floor. There was a stone wall that she could see, rough and naturally formed, like a cave or canyon.

How had she gotten here? Where was she? Was she even still on Delephran? Where was Master Sifo-Dyas?

The empty feeling in her chest burned colder and Korrah's breath froze in her lungs as she finally realized with extreme clarity that not only were her hands and feet bound, she couldn't reach the Force!

A voice that she'd somehow failed to notice from just behind her distracted her from her panic as it rose up in pitch and volume. Korrah barely restrained the instinctive urge to flinch. It only sounded like there might be two, maybe three, others but she couldn't be sure. If she remained still, she might be able to trick whoever it was into thinking she was still unconscious.

Focusing past her throbbing headache, the sound of voices started to become clearer now from behind her. If she was in a cave that was probably the direction of the entrance. Korrah swallowed again around her gag, trying to breathe as deeply and unassumingly as she could, listening to what she could hear was being said by the individuals.

"-and when we get back, I'm sayin' we ask the Captain ta break out the good stuff. I'm thinkin' we deserve it aft'r landin' this catch! This is our ticket ta a leisure life right 'ere."

An armored boot uncaringly struck out and dug under her arm, pushing her over. Fortunately, she landed in her back with her head still on the side so she could still see through her little peephole. The sight of the motley-garbed figures through the rip triggered a painful surge of recall within her memory.

– _The sudden alarm crackling across the Force, the sudden alertness, turning and trying to spot the danger and then the surprise! The bone-jarring agony as her whole body was electrocuted from hidden shock grenades_ –

It'd only been for a brief second that she'd seen one of four or five figures rush towards her before unconsciousness claimed her. Korrah's heart rate started accelerating, even as she tried to keep her breath even and keep her calm.

 _Kriff_! It was awfully clear now she'd been kidnapped! And Master Sifo-Dyas! Was he here? Did they have him too?

Voices started talking again and Korrah could positively identify three separate persons between them. Pirates, probably?

"-oh, shove off with yer chssk! We've got the little chit and we're waitin' for Dareg and Sim before droppin' her off as planned. Got it?"

"Oi, I ain't sayin' we let 'er loose. I'm sayin' we consider our options a little."

"We stick to the plan, Veedx. The patrolmen we bribed gotta be dealt with first."

Someone spat in the dirt and growled. "Gah! That stupid, useless worm! I'd kill Wellner myself for gettin' 'imself busted by that other Jedi if I 'ad the chance. Now, we gotta cover our own hides first before that Senate-dog puts 'is Wizard Mind Trick on the guards and they sell us out when we should be movin'. And once we move the girl back to base, we gotta tell Captain everythin' that 'appened too."

Another person gave a rasping, wet cough. "Yeah, Captain won't be happy 'bout Wellner. Dareg and Sim'll be back soon though, and we'll move again. And keep yer foot off the merchandise, Veedx. Ya know 'ow Captain feels 'bout damage goods."

"Whaaat, a pretty, young Jedi like 'er? It don't hurt 'er. And the stuff we gave 'er'll keep 'er from pullin' any Jedi-wizard tricks even if she does wake up. But anyways, listen, I'm tellin' ya, I know a guy. Remember Reezl? Well, 'es got 'is own ship now and 'es got an in with the Xrexus Cartel. We off'r 'im a cut and he thros 'em a line fer us. They'd give us _triple,_ maybe _more_ thanwhat's bein' offr'd now for 'er bounty. That 'outta brighten Captain's mood, even with Wellner kriffin' up."

"E's still alive? I thought 'is Captain lost 'is ship an' crew years ago."

"Nah, 'e got in a 'scape pod when they got hot with the patrol and was picked up by 'em, but 'e slipped away bef're they could throw 'im in the coup."

"That don't sound like a bad idea. If it's Reezl, 'e woun't cheat the Captain. Think e'd go for it?"

"I think so. Chit's bounty wasn't posted 'till recently. 'hoever wanted her should've made a better offer if they didn't want to lose to others."

"...ya know, it don't sound like a bad idea. We'll pose it to the Captain when we get back. Now shut yer traps! I hear Dareg and Sim comin'. Veedx, Criv, check outside."

The two named pirates moved away to her right while the third shuffled over and took hold of her arms, pulling her upright.

Korrah was considering making a move to incapacitate him and the pirate was about to throw her over his shoulder when angry yelling and blaster bolts exploded from outside. The pirate aborted his action and dropped her to the floor again. She could hear the mechanical sound of a blaster rifle being charged as he scrambled up and ran towards the cave entrance.

"Oi! Veedx! Criv!"

With no time to waste, Korrah took her chance and arched her back, ignoring the way the action caused her muscles to scream at her in protest. Her fingers quickly fumbling for the inside of her right boot where she had a thin vibro-knife still hidden there.

She made a silent 'thank you' to the powers that be that the pirates had assumed that as a Jedi Padawan she didn't carry any other weapon besides her lightsaber. Then another mental 'thank you' to Batt for sharing his spoils the last time they'd met.

Not that she would _ever_ mention it to his face.

Pulling the weapon free, she flipped it around by the hilt and hid it inside her wide sleeve, resuming her previous position and listened.

The fighting outside had stopped. In the dead silence that followed, it sounded as if someone was whimpering and crawling through the cave entrance before stopping and pleading with someone else.

"No! Please! Don't-!" Their pitiful cries were cut off with a single blaster shot.

Almost too quiet to make out through the cloth, Korrah heard a new voice; distinctly male, cultured, and spoke seemingly to himself – or maybe it was to the corpse. He sounded as if he was terribly amused by something.

"…predictable scum…as if you'd-…true worth of…prize."

Korrah lay still as the newcomer stalked slowly over and crouched down. Several seconds passed before she felt the person reach down and – almost gently – pulled the sack off her head.

She kept her eyes closed. Even though the cold emptiness congealing in her chest where she should be feeling the Force was scaring more than she wanted to admit, the feel of the vibro-knife in her hand comforted her. She focused on it, figuring that if it was just the one person now instead of three, she'd wait a bit longer, free her hands and feet and escape by either over powering him or getting away when he wasn't watching. However, her hopeful planning was replaced by a feeling of dread crawling up her spine when the unknown stranger started laughing. Two thick fingers rapped against her cheek firmly.

"Shouldn't you be getting up and thanking me, little Jedi? Or are you going to persist in playing as if you're still asleep?"

Korrah's heart stuttered for a beat at being called out so suddenly, so soon, but if the jig was up, there was no point in pretending any longer. Her eyes snapped opened, burning slightly at the light and immediately she took in the appearance of this new stranger.

It was an unfamiliar male Bith dressed in nondescript dark clothing. Her experience in gauging and approximate age with the species was woefully lacking, but her best guess was that – standard Bith features aside – he looked like he was maybe anywhere from his mid-second decade to few years older than her. He reached for her face again and pulled the gag off. She spat a glob of rancid saliva off to the side and stared back up at him, but he made no further move to free her.

"Still no gratitude?" he demanded.

Korrah narrowed her eyes at him. She did not like his mocking attitude and silently wished she could access the Force. She had no reservations towards being grateful at being rescued, but he still had made no move to untie her. Korrah felt she had every reason to be cautious and no definitive proof that this Bith was trustworthy or meant her no harm.

So, fortuitous but demanding 'friend', new foe or…something else?

"To whom do I allegedly owe my gratitude?"

Well, _kriff_! At least her voice sounded ridiculously confident.

Almost as if she _wasn't_ nothing more than a still bound sixteen-year-old Padawan, separated from her Master with no clue where she was, no lightsaber, and no connection to the Force at the moment. It might all be posturing, but regardless, it eased a little bit of her internal trepidation over her situation.

Large black eyes the size of her fists glittered with foreboding delight. There was something undeniably sinister about this Bith.

"You may call me Venamis."

* * *

 **A/N: Dang, this chapter kicked my butt! But…it's out now right? At least it's long.**

 **It's sad that this took so long to write and even sadder that I'm currently so busy that it'll be a while before the next chapter. And on a cliffhanger, too. I'm so mean.**

 **Also…I have fanart now…FAN. ART….of Korrah!**

 **Just…oh my gosh. As an artist myself, this is** _ **huuuuuuge**_ **for me. So,** _ **huuuuge**_ **shout out and Thank You to 'Gerbilfriend' for doing that for this story. The act alone is…I can't put into words how amazing and happy and honored I feel about this!**

 **(BEST. CHRISTMAS. GIFT. EVER.)**

 **Love you all and thank you for reading and staying with this story so far! Until next time.**

 **-ObsidianShadow1994**


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